Paleontologists in Thailand say they have discovered a new species of dinosaur from fossils found in the Kalasin province in the northeast of the country.

The herbivorous dinosaur, called Uragasaurus kalasinensis, is believed to have lived about 150 million years ago.

It had an unusually long neck and measured up to 20 m (66 ft), about the length of a cricket pitch.

Dr Apirat Nilphanaphan of Thailand’s Mahasarakham University, lead author of the study, told BBC Thai that the specimen was part of a large collection of fossils from a site first identified in 2008, when a local man found fragments that resembled snake scales.

The site where the discovery was made, Phu Noi, contained a wide variety of fossils from the Late Jurassic period. More than 90% of the fossils excavated at the site were dinosaur fragments.

When the research 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 recovered dorsal vertebra (a bone from the middle or upper back) that showed distinctive features.

A CT scan revealed that the dinosaur belonged to the Mamenchisauridae family of sauropod dinosaurs, characterized by their extremely long necks, which likely helped them reach vegetation at different heights.

While most fossils of the Mamenchisauridae family have been found in China, this discovery is the first of its kind in Thailand.

The scan also revealed unique features, including a Y-shaped arrangement of supporting bones known as laminae.

Niphanaphan told BBC Thai that the features, particularly a unique air cavity structure, were “different from any other dinosaur in the world… That’s what sets it apart.”

He said he smashed his keyboard after realizing they had discovered a new species, adding that he felt “elated and relieved at the same time.”

The study was published in the scientific journal Nature earlier this week.

In May, it was revealed that scientists had identified a different type of long-necked herbivorous dinosaur, the nagatitan, from remains unearthed in Thailand.

Nagatitan is the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia, weighing 27 tons (the same as nine adult Asian elephants) and measuring 27 m (88 ft) long.

Additional information by Jiraporn Srijaem