Roaring back to life

A dinosaur statue stands guard outside a temple, a hint at the ancient giants buried deep in the earth below, making up northeastern Thailand's "dinosaur rush".

Researchers have found a trove of dinosaur fossils across the region, which holds the country's richest deposits, offering insight into the creatures that roamed the planet millions of years ago.

Prehistoric specimens from the region's sunbaked soil were identified this year as two new species — Southeast Asia's largest dinosaur, Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, and the long-necked Uragasaurus kalasinensis.

They are the latest discoveries in a series that researchers at Mahasarakham University — which leads the field — hope will result in Thailand's 16th species within months.