KALASIN, Thailand – Thailand has officially identified its 15th dinosaur species, Uragasaurus kalasinensis, a newly discovered long-necked sauropod unearthed at the Phu Noi fossil site in Kalasin province. Researchers from Mahasarakham University said the dinosaur lived about 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Period. The discovery, published in the journal Scientific Reports, is also the first officially named member of the Mamenchisauridae family found in Thailand and Southeast Asia. The new species was identified from fossil remains recovered from the Phu Kradueng Formation, including a dorsal vertebra and other skeletal elements. Researchers used CT scanning to examine the fossil’s internal structure, revealing distinctive anatomical features, including a honeycomb-like network of air chambers within the vertebrae, confirming it as a previously unknown species.
The name Uragasaurus combines the Sanskrit word “uraga,” meaning “snake,” with the Greek word “saurus,” meaning “lizard,” referring to the dinosaur’s exceptionally long neck. The species name, kalasinensis, honors Kalasin province, where the fossil was discovered. Members of the Mamenchisauridae family are known for necks that can account for nearly half their body length. The Phu Noi fossil site is one of Thailand’s and Southeast Asia’s richest vertebrate fossil localities, with more than 6,000 fossils recovered to date. Previous discoveries include Thailand’s 13th named dinosaur species, Minimocursor phunoiensis, along with fossils of carnivorous dinosaurs, turtles, crocodiles, freshwater sharks, lungfish, bony fish, amphibians, and pterosaurs, offering valuable insight into the region’s prehistoric ecosystems. (NNT)
