Most new dinosaur species are announced after researchers uncover multiple bones or even an entire skeleton.
The discovery of Uragasaurus kalasinensis proves that this is not always necessary.
Scientists have identified the giant long-necked dinosaur from a single, exceptionally well-preserved vertebra found in northeastern Thailand.
Despite the limited fossil material, the bone preserved a unique combination of anatomical features that had never been documented in any other dinosaur, allowing researchers to recognise it as an entirely new genus and species.
Published in Scientific Reports, the discovery makes Uragasaurus the first formally named member of the long-necked dinosaur family Mamenchisauridae from Thailand, while shedding new light on the evolution, distribution and diversity of some of the largest land animals to have ever lived.How one small bone gave scientists enough evidence to identify UragasaurusThe fossil that led to the discovery is a dorsal vertebra recovered from Thailand's Phu Kradung Formation.
