Palaeontologists in Thailand have identified a new species of dinosaur from fossils found in Kalasin Province in the country's north-east. The plant-eating dinosaur, named Uragasaurus kalasinensis, is thought to have lived about 150 million years ago.

It had an unusually long neck and measured up to 20 meters (66 feet) — roughly the length of a cricket pitch. Dr. Apirut Nilpanapan from Mahasarakham University, the study's lead author, told BBC Thai that the specimen was part of a large fossil collection from a site first identified in 2008, when a local man found fragments resembling serpent scales.

The site, Phu Noi, contained a wide variety of fossils from the Late Jurassic period. More than 90% of the fossils excavated were dinosaur fragments. The survey team also found other fossils such as dinosaur teeth and bones.

The fossil that led to the discovery was a dorsal vertebra showing distinctive characteristics. A CT scan revealed the dinosaur belonged to the Mamenchisauridae family of sauropods, characterized by extremely long necks. While most Mamenchisauridae fossils have been found in China, this is the first such discovery in Thailand.

The scan also revealed unique features, including a Y-shaped arrangement of supporting bones called laminae. Nilpanapan said the features, particularly a unique air-cavity structure, were "unlike any other dinosaur in the world... That's what sets it apart."

He said he smashed his computer after realizing they had discovered a new species, feeling both "exhilarated and relieved." The study was published in the journal Nature. In May, another long-necked herbivore dinosaur, the nagatitan, was identified from remains in Thailand.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk