Kamal Ghorui
Scientists have unveiled Nagatitan Chaiyaphumensis, a colossal plant-eating dinosaur found in Thailand. Image Credit: Gemini
Imagine yourself standing under a massive canopy of conifers, 113 million years ago. It is humid and thick with fern scent. The ground below you suddenly vibrates with heavy, rhythmic vibrations. A creature that is so huge, its back extends into the trees and its neck stretches upwards like a crane. The Cretaceous Period was a reality in the area we call Thailand. A newly-discovered titan has rewritten history for the prehistoric landscape of this region.Scientists have introduced Nagatitan Chaiyaphumensis to the world, an enormous plant-eating dinosaur that holds the official title as the largest dinosaur ever discovered in Southeast Asia. This massive sauropod, which measured nearly 90 feet in length and weighed the same as five African elephants at adulthood, was as long as a football field. The discovery may seem to be just another fossil, but it provides a unique look into how the animals lived and grew.The titan in the treesNagatitan’s story began in Chaiyaphum, a province in northeastern Thailand. The unusual stones were first discovered by a local villager, who later found out that they were ancient skeletal remnants. A team of scientists excavated this site over several years. They found pieces that were buried millions of years ago. The team found parts of the pelvis and a humerus (a bone in the front leg that stands nearly six feet high), among other things.The team estimated that Nagatitan’s weight ranged between 25 and 28 tons by analysing the bones. It was a sauropod, which means it had the iconic silhouette of a giant. Four pillar-like feet, a tail to balance and a neck that is incredibly long for grazing at high altitudes.A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that Nagatitan is likely to have been a “bulk browser.” It didn’t take much time to pick at the food. It moved across the landscape as if it were a giant vacuum cleaner, eating vast amounts of soft plants like seed ferns and conifers. These dinosaurs lacked complex teeth for chewing and relied instead on their large stomachs to break down fibre.
This titan, the largest ever in Southeast Asia, roamed 113 million years ago. Its discovery sheds light on prehistoric ecosystems and the impact of a warmer Earth. Image Credit: Gemini
Survival of the biggestSize was the most important factor in the Cretaceous world. Nagatitan lived in a subtropical ecosystem of open shrublands and lush forests, which was not peaceful. Pterosaurs patrolled the skies, and rivers were teeming with crocodiles. Predators lurked on land, including the fearsome Carcharodontosaurus relative.The meat-eater reached a length of about 26 feet. It was a relatively small animal compared with a Nagatitan at full size. Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, the lead researcher at the lab, notes that an adult Nagatitan has little to fear. Even the hungriest carnivores were kept at bay by the mere risk of getting crushed.It was a simple strategy to survive: Grow as quickly as you can. According to the study, sauropods experienced rapid growth immediately following hatching. They became safer the faster they could grow from tiny eggs to multi-ton young. The prize for winning the race was to reach a size where they were virtually untouchable.The warming of the worldNagatitan is more than a name added to the 14 other dinosaurs discovered in Thailand. The discovery of Nagatitan provides an important window into how the Earth’s life reacts to climate change. Earth experienced a rise in global temperature and atmospheric CO2 during the period this titan walked.Paul Upchurch is a coauthor of this research, and he points out that there appears to be a link between the high temperatures of Earth’s past climates and the appearance of giant dinosaurs around the world. Scientists are working on determining the exact cause, but it’s believed that the warm climate promoted the growth of the plants that these herbivores depended upon.Nagatitan is the last titan of this kind to exist in the area. The Cretaceous era saw the region that now comprises Southeast Asia begin to change into a shallow ocean, ending their reign. The era of Thai Titans was already over by the time the famous Asteroid hit 66 million years ago.The name Nagatitan is a tribute to the Naga, a serpent deity that appears in Thai religion. The name Nagatitan is fitting for the creature, which seems to be more mythical than real, the living mountain that once walked on earth. It reminds us of an era when the Earth was hotter, greener and more massive.
