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Palaeontologists in Thailand say they have discovered a new species of dinosaur from fossils found in the northeastern province of Kalasin.
The plant-eating dinosaur Uragasaurus calassinensis is estimated to have lived 150 million years ago.
It had an unusually long neck and measured up to 20m (66ft) – roughly the length of a cricket bat.
Study leader Dr Apirat Nilphanaphan from Thailand’s Mahasarakham University told BBC Thai that the specimen was a large fossil first discovered at the site in 2008, when a local man found pieces of what looked like snake scales.
The discovery site, Phu Noi, contains a variety of fossils from the Late Jurassic period. More than 90% of the fossils excavated from the site are dinosaur fragments.
When the survey team went to explore the site, they found other fossils such as dinosaur teeth and bones.
However, the fossil that led to the discovery of the new species was a restored dorsal vertebra – the middle or upper back bone – that showed unique characteristics.
The CT scan revealed that the dinosaur belonged to the Mamenchisaridae family of sauropod dinosaurs, which had very long necks, which helped them reach plants at different heights.
While most fossils from the Mamenchisauridae family are found in China, this discovery is the first in Thailand.
The probe also revealed unique features, including a Y-shaped arrangement of supporting bones known as the laminae.
Nifanafan told BBC Thai that its features, particularly the unique air-cave structure, were “unlike any other dinosaur in the world… what sets it apart”.
He said he smashed the keyboard after realizing they had discovered a new species, saying he felt “excited and relieved.”
The study was published earlier this week in the journal Nature Science.
In May, a species of plant with a different long neck – Nagatitan – was identified by scientists from the remains excavated in Thailand.
Nagatitan is the largest dinosaur ever found in south-east Asia, weighing 27 tonnes – as much as nine adult Asian elephants – and measuring 27 meters (88 feet).
Additional reporting by Jiraporn Srijaem
