Fossil of long-necked dinosaur discovered in Thailand, suggesting wider sauropod migration

Paleontologists have unearthed a new species of dinosaur in northeastern Thailand, a discovery that sheds new light on the ancient migration patterns of sauropods. The fossil belongs to the Mamenchisauridae family, a group of long-necked dinosaurs previously believed to be primarily confined to East Asia.

The newly identified species has been named Uragasaurus kalasinensis. It roamed the area that is now Thailand during the Late Jurassic period, roughly 150 to 145 million years ago. This significant find challenges earlier assumptions about the geographical distribution of these massive herbivores.

The discovery of Uragasaurus kalasinensis in Southeast Asia provides evidence that sauropods, characterized by their exceptionally long necks and tails, had a broader range than previously understood. It suggests a migration or wider presence of this dinosaur group across the Asian continent during the Jurassic era.