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Scientists discover giant ‘kraken-like’ octopus existed millions of years ago
But thanks to new technologies, researchers are gaining insight into animals like the octopus that left fewer traces behind
Author of the article
enette Wilford
Published Apr 24, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
This illustration provided by researchers in April 2026 depicts a giant octopus that may have been a top marine predator millions of years ago.
This illustration provided by researchers in April 2026 depicts a giant octopus that may have been a top marine predator millions of years ago. Photo by Yohei Utsuki /AP
A kraken-like octopus that could grow to more than 18 metres long may have been one of the fiercest predators in the oceans, according to scientists.
New research out of Japan’s Hokkaido University is challenging the notion that octopuses were not among the main marine predators during the Late Cretaceous period, when Tyrannosaurus rex and Giganotosaurus roamed and ruled the planet.
The scientists studied dozens of jaw fossils of ancient octopus relatives, and found that two now-extinct species — Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi and N. haggarti — reached lengths between seven and 19 metres, rivalling other giant marine reptiles of the time.
Why have the octopus been overlooked?
“Some of the earliest octopuses were much larger than we had imagined,” Yasuhiro Iba, a professor at Hokkaido University and co-author of the study, told the Washington Post.
“Invertebrates — especially soft-bodied animals like octopuses — have remained largely invisible in the fossil record, and their ecological roles have been poorly understood.”
That’s because soft-bodied animals rarely fossilize, resulting in paleontologists historically focusing on organisms with hard skeletons or shells.
But thanks to new technologies, researchers are gaining insight into animals like the octopus that left fewer traces behind.
“In that sense, we are just beginning to see parts of ancient ecosystems that were previously almost invisible,” Iba said.
Size isn’t the only thing that matters
And what they found in the recent octopus discovery was so much more than just their colossal size.
“The novelty of our study is not simply that ‘large octopuses existed,” Iba noted. “Rather, by analyzing the intense wear preserved on their jaws, the research team was able to demonstrate that these octopuses were capable of processing hard prey such as shells and bones, and may have reached a similar ecological level to large vertebrate apex predators in the Cretaceous ocean.”
The evidence of chipping, scratching, cracking and polishing on the jaws “indicates repeated, forceful interactions with their prey, revealing an unexpectedly aggressive feeding strategy,” Iba added in a news release.
The massive mollusks may have eaten large aquatic reptiles like mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, two species which were believed to be the main marine predators of the period.
Instead, the octopus’s beaks and jaws, in addition to their powerful arms, which allowed them to grab prey more easily, may have made them formidable rulers of the oceans.
In comparison, the largest octopus alive today is the giant Pacific octopus, which typically measures at just under five metres in size, according to National Geographic.
While it has been known to eat larger animals like sharks and birds, its typical diet consists of shrimp, clams, lobster and fish.
The fossils were discovered in Japan and Vancouver Island, according to the release, with the team using grinding tomography, a 3D imaging technique, along with an artificial intelligence model, to carry out the research.
nationalgeographic.com
torontosun.com
But thanks to new technologies, researchers are gaining insight into animals like the octopus that left fewer traces behind
Author of the article
enette WilfordPublished Apr 24, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
This illustration provided by researchers in April 2026 depicts a giant octopus that may have been a top marine predator millions of years ago.
This illustration provided by researchers in April 2026 depicts a giant octopus that may have been a top marine predator millions of years ago. Photo by Yohei Utsuki /AP
A kraken-like octopus that could grow to more than 18 metres long may have been one of the fiercest predators in the oceans, according to scientists.
New research out of Japan’s Hokkaido University is challenging the notion that octopuses were not among the main marine predators during the Late Cretaceous period, when Tyrannosaurus rex and Giganotosaurus roamed and ruled the planet.
The scientists studied dozens of jaw fossils of ancient octopus relatives, and found that two now-extinct species — Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi and N. haggarti — reached lengths between seven and 19 metres, rivalling other giant marine reptiles of the time.
Why have the octopus been overlooked?
“Some of the earliest octopuses were much larger than we had imagined,” Yasuhiro Iba, a professor at Hokkaido University and co-author of the study, told the Washington Post.
“Invertebrates — especially soft-bodied animals like octopuses — have remained largely invisible in the fossil record, and their ecological roles have been poorly understood.”
That’s because soft-bodied animals rarely fossilize, resulting in paleontologists historically focusing on organisms with hard skeletons or shells.
But thanks to new technologies, researchers are gaining insight into animals like the octopus that left fewer traces behind.
“In that sense, we are just beginning to see parts of ancient ecosystems that were previously almost invisible,” Iba said.
Size isn’t the only thing that matters
And what they found in the recent octopus discovery was so much more than just their colossal size.
“The novelty of our study is not simply that ‘large octopuses existed,” Iba noted. “Rather, by analyzing the intense wear preserved on their jaws, the research team was able to demonstrate that these octopuses were capable of processing hard prey such as shells and bones, and may have reached a similar ecological level to large vertebrate apex predators in the Cretaceous ocean.”
The evidence of chipping, scratching, cracking and polishing on the jaws “indicates repeated, forceful interactions with their prey, revealing an unexpectedly aggressive feeding strategy,” Iba added in a news release.
The massive mollusks may have eaten large aquatic reptiles like mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, two species which were believed to be the main marine predators of the period.
Instead, the octopus’s beaks and jaws, in addition to their powerful arms, which allowed them to grab prey more easily, may have made them formidable rulers of the oceans.
In comparison, the largest octopus alive today is the giant Pacific octopus, which typically measures at just under five metres in size, according to National Geographic.
While it has been known to eat larger animals like sharks and birds, its typical diet consists of shrimp, clams, lobster and fish.
The fossils were discovered in Japan and Vancouver Island, according to the release, with the team using grinding tomography, a 3D imaging technique, along with an artificial intelligence model, to carry out the research.
Giant Pacific Octopus | National Geographic
Meet the world's largest octopus, which can tip the scales at over 600 pounds. Hear about the amazing feats of these highly intelligent animals.
nationalgeographic.com
Scientists discover giant ‘kraken-like’ octopus existed millions of years ago
A kraken-like octopus that could grow to more than 18 metres long may have been one of the fiercest predators in the oceans. Read on.
Canada marks vaccination week amid 'sobering' return of measles
For the first time in 24 years, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) came to Ottawa to launch vaccination week in the Americas — a nod to Canada’s recent loss of measles elimination status
Author of the article:Elizabeth Payne
Published Apr 27, 2026 • 3 minute read
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, seen in a February 2026 file photo, called the loss of measles elimination status sobering. “It is a difficult wake-up call because in Canada we believe in science and we value our scientists," she said. "But we need to take action, including building trust in vaccine through community engagement.”
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, seen in a February 2026 file photo, called the loss of measles elimination status sobering. “It is a difficult wake-up call because in Canada we believe in science and we value our scientists," she said. "But we need to take action, including building trust in vaccine through community engagement.” Photo by Blair Gable /Postmedia
Five months after Canada lost its measles-free status, the annual week devoted to vaccination awareness is taking on a new significance.
For the first time in 24 years, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) came to Ottawa to launch vaccination week in the Americas — a nod to Canada’s recent loss of measles elimination status and a chance to reaffirm the importance of keeping vaccination rates high. The event, hosted by CHEO president and CEO Dr. Vera Etches, was held Monday, April 27, at Library and Archives Canada and livestreamed around the Americas.
PAHO, which serves as the World Health Organization’s regional office for the Americas, revoked Canada’s measles-free status last November after a year-long outbreak resulted in more than 5,000 cases of the highly infectious disease. So far in 2026, there have been 871 cases across the country.
The measles vaccine is highly effective, but, because the disease is so contagious, 95 per cent of the population must be immunized to prevent outbreaks. Vaccination rates have steadily declined in Canada in recent years and remain below the threshold — in part due to disruptions caused by the pandemic as well as the rise of misinformation and poor access to primary care.
As of the end of 2024, just over 80 per cent of two-year-olds in Canada were adequately vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, according to Health Canada.
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, speaking at the event, called the loss of measles elimination status sobering.
“It is a difficult wake-up call because in Canada we believe in science and we value our scientists. But we need to take action, including building trust in vaccine through community engagement.”
She said the federal government is working with provinces and territories, as well as agencies, to better understand the barriers to higher immunization rates in order to regain measles elimination status and increase vaccination rates.
Dr. Anne Pham-Huy
Dr. Anne Pham-Huy, chair of Immunize Canada and a pediatric infectious disease physician at CHEO, is optimistic Canada can regain its measles elimination status, “but it is not going to be easy”. Photo by CHEO /Handout
“Together we are going to make sure that our children are going to receive all the vaccines that they need to protect themselves from diseases. Canada is firmly committed to advancing vaccination as a cornerstone of public health, both internationally and domestically.”
Canada’s newly appointed chief public health officer, Dr. Joss Reimer, called measles elimination a “deeply personal topic for me”.
She grew up in Winkler, Man., which currently has one of the highest rates of measles in the country and, at one point, had the highest rate of measles in the Americas.
Reimer noted that the majority of recent cases in Canada have been in highly connected, under-vaccinated communities, including Winkler.
“This moment is very important for us,” she said. “This is a stark reminder of our continued vulnerability to disease.”
PAHO provided recommendations in order to help Canada regain measles elimination status. Those include strengthening monitoring and data sharing, combatting misinformation and addressing immunity gaps.
Health Canada says it is strengthening approaches that target under-vaccinated and vaccine-hesitant populations.
Canada’s lack of a comprehensive national immunization registry has been criticized by health experts and others as a critical public health gap that creates a barrier to understanding vaccination coverage and trends.
Dr. Anne Pham-Huy, chair of Immunize Canada and a pediatric infectious disease physician at CHEO, said a national registry would make it easier to increase vaccination rates by making it easier to know where the potential pockets of underimmunization are.
She said she is optimistic Canada can regain its measles elimination status, “but it is not going to be easy and it definitely will require collaboration.
“In 2026, we are being reminded that progress in public health can never be taken for granted,” she said. “The recent loss of measles elimination status in Canada shows how quickly vaccine-preventable diseases can return when vaccination rates fall and misinformation spreads.”
torontosun.com
For the first time in 24 years, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) came to Ottawa to launch vaccination week in the Americas — a nod to Canada’s recent loss of measles elimination status
Author of the article:Elizabeth Payne
Published Apr 27, 2026 • 3 minute read
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, seen in a February 2026 file photo, called the loss of measles elimination status sobering. “It is a difficult wake-up call because in Canada we believe in science and we value our scientists," she said. "But we need to take action, including building trust in vaccine through community engagement.”
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, seen in a February 2026 file photo, called the loss of measles elimination status sobering. “It is a difficult wake-up call because in Canada we believe in science and we value our scientists," she said. "But we need to take action, including building trust in vaccine through community engagement.” Photo by Blair Gable /Postmedia
Five months after Canada lost its measles-free status, the annual week devoted to vaccination awareness is taking on a new significance.
For the first time in 24 years, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) came to Ottawa to launch vaccination week in the Americas — a nod to Canada’s recent loss of measles elimination status and a chance to reaffirm the importance of keeping vaccination rates high. The event, hosted by CHEO president and CEO Dr. Vera Etches, was held Monday, April 27, at Library and Archives Canada and livestreamed around the Americas.
PAHO, which serves as the World Health Organization’s regional office for the Americas, revoked Canada’s measles-free status last November after a year-long outbreak resulted in more than 5,000 cases of the highly infectious disease. So far in 2026, there have been 871 cases across the country.
The measles vaccine is highly effective, but, because the disease is so contagious, 95 per cent of the population must be immunized to prevent outbreaks. Vaccination rates have steadily declined in Canada in recent years and remain below the threshold — in part due to disruptions caused by the pandemic as well as the rise of misinformation and poor access to primary care.
As of the end of 2024, just over 80 per cent of two-year-olds in Canada were adequately vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, according to Health Canada.
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, speaking at the event, called the loss of measles elimination status sobering.
“It is a difficult wake-up call because in Canada we believe in science and we value our scientists. But we need to take action, including building trust in vaccine through community engagement.”
She said the federal government is working with provinces and territories, as well as agencies, to better understand the barriers to higher immunization rates in order to regain measles elimination status and increase vaccination rates.
Dr. Anne Pham-Huy
Dr. Anne Pham-Huy, chair of Immunize Canada and a pediatric infectious disease physician at CHEO, is optimistic Canada can regain its measles elimination status, “but it is not going to be easy”. Photo by CHEO /Handout
“Together we are going to make sure that our children are going to receive all the vaccines that they need to protect themselves from diseases. Canada is firmly committed to advancing vaccination as a cornerstone of public health, both internationally and domestically.”
Canada’s newly appointed chief public health officer, Dr. Joss Reimer, called measles elimination a “deeply personal topic for me”.
She grew up in Winkler, Man., which currently has one of the highest rates of measles in the country and, at one point, had the highest rate of measles in the Americas.
Reimer noted that the majority of recent cases in Canada have been in highly connected, under-vaccinated communities, including Winkler.
“This moment is very important for us,” she said. “This is a stark reminder of our continued vulnerability to disease.”
PAHO provided recommendations in order to help Canada regain measles elimination status. Those include strengthening monitoring and data sharing, combatting misinformation and addressing immunity gaps.
Health Canada says it is strengthening approaches that target under-vaccinated and vaccine-hesitant populations.
Canada’s lack of a comprehensive national immunization registry has been criticized by health experts and others as a critical public health gap that creates a barrier to understanding vaccination coverage and trends.
Dr. Anne Pham-Huy, chair of Immunize Canada and a pediatric infectious disease physician at CHEO, said a national registry would make it easier to increase vaccination rates by making it easier to know where the potential pockets of underimmunization are.
She said she is optimistic Canada can regain its measles elimination status, “but it is not going to be easy and it definitely will require collaboration.
“In 2026, we are being reminded that progress in public health can never be taken for granted,” she said. “The recent loss of measles elimination status in Canada shows how quickly vaccine-preventable diseases can return when vaccination rates fall and misinformation spreads.”
Canada marks vaccination week amid 'sobering' return of measles
For the first time in 24 years, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) came to Ottawa to launch vaccination week in the Americas — a nod to Canada’s recent loss of measles elimination status
Who is paying the scientists? And why? Perhaps more importantly, why are they hiding the research on Covid vaccines?
What to know about hantavirus after 3 died in suspected cruise ship outbreak
There are 87 surviving passengers and 61 crew members aboard the vessel, representing almost two dozen countries.
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Sammy Westfall, Kendra Nichols
Published May 04, 2026 • Last updated 20 hours ago • 4 minute read
This aerial picture shows a general view of the cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 4, 2026. Photo by - /AFP via Getty Images
The rodent-borne hantavirus is suspected in an outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean in which three passengers have died within three weeks.
The World Health Organization said one case of hantavirus has been confirmed and that there are five suspected cases, two of them fatal. Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator of the Hondius expedition ship, said one passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg and two crew members aboard the vessel have respiratory symptoms.
There are 87 surviving passengers and 61 crew members aboard the vessel, representing almost two dozen countries.
Although hantavirus is normally linked to exposure to infected rodents’ urine or feces – a particular risk while cleaning – in rare cases it can spread between people. Here’s what to know about the disease.
Oceanwide Expeditions relayed an alarming timeline in a news release Monday about what it described as a “serious medical situation” aboard the Hondius, a polar-rated expedition ship off the coast of Cape Verde, along Africa’s western coast.
On April 11, a Dutch passenger died on board, but the cause of death could not be determined. His wife accompanied his body as it was brought off the ship on St. Helena, a remote island territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. After she left the ship, she became unwell and died, the company said.
About two weeks after the first death, a British passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa, where hantavirus was identified. That passenger is in the intensive-care unit in critical but stable condition, the Monday release said.
On Saturday, a third passenger died, a German national.
It has not been confirmed that all three of the deaths were caused by hantavirus, the company said.
Of the passengers, 19 are British, 17 are American, 13 are Spanish and eight are Dutch. More than half of the crew members are Filipino nationals.
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illness and death. They are spread mainly by rodents and can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which is more common in the United States, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which is found mostly in Europe and Asia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both are severe and potentially deadly.
It can be contracted by contact with droppings from infected rodents, commonly through inhalation when entering or cleaning unventilated areas. Person-to-person transmission is also possible, but more rare.
Symptoms typically start to show between one and eight weeks after first contact with the virus.
HPS affects the lungs and can cause fatigue, fever and muscle aches initially, followed by coughing and shortness of breath. Once inhaled, the virus can reach the lungs and infect cells that line tiny blood vessels in the lungs, allowing fluid to enter and making it difficult to breathe, according to the American Lung Association.
Thirty-eight percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms die of the disease, according to the CDC.
HFRS is less deadly but still serious. It affects the kidneys and causes headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever, nausea and blurred vision. Later symptoms include low blood pleasure, internal bleeding and kidney failure. Fatality rates vary between less than 1 percent and up to 15 percent.
Hantaviruses are found all around the world, but outbreaks are rare. In 1993, a mysterious outbreak of severe respiratory illness originating in the Southwest killed about 30 people. The deaths were the first documented cases in the Americas of hantavirus disease in humans and triggered a public health response that has helped prevent other similarly sized outbreaks to date, The Washington Post reported.
Hantavirus was named as the cause of death for Betsy Arakawa, pianist and wife of actor Gene Hackman, last year.
There were 890 laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases in the United States between 1993, when the CDC began tracking the illness, and the end of 2023. More than 90 percent of those occurred west of the Mississippi River. It is commonly linked to people with occupational exposure, such as those working in construction, pest control, janitorial and agricultural work, the American Lung Association said.
Globally, there may be as many as 150,000 cases of HFRS each year, according to a review by the American Society for Microbiology.
Treatment options are limited, so the best protection against the illness is to avoid contact with rodents and to take care when cleaning their droppings, wearing a well-fitted N95 mask. Health officials also warn against vacuuming or sweeping contaminated areas to avoid releasing particles into the air.
The company said the WHO is coordinating the medical evacuation of two symptomatic people – a British national and a Dutch national – as well as a full public health risk-assessment and support to the remaining passengers. On board, passengers are isolating, and hygiene protocols are in place.
The ship operator said it had not received authorization from Cape Verdean authorities to bring ill guests on land for treatment, adding that local health authorities had visited the ship to assess their condition. In a news release Monday, the company said it is considering sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands to disembark.
For more health news and content around diseases, conditions, wellness, healthy living, drugs, treatments and more, head to Healthing.ca – a member of the Postmedia Network.
torontosun.com
There are 87 surviving passengers and 61 crew members aboard the vessel, representing almost two dozen countries.
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Sammy Westfall, Kendra Nichols
Published May 04, 2026 • Last updated 20 hours ago • 4 minute read
This aerial picture shows a general view of the cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 4, 2026. Photo by - /AFP via Getty Images
The rodent-borne hantavirus is suspected in an outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean in which three passengers have died within three weeks.
The World Health Organization said one case of hantavirus has been confirmed and that there are five suspected cases, two of them fatal. Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator of the Hondius expedition ship, said one passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg and two crew members aboard the vessel have respiratory symptoms.
There are 87 surviving passengers and 61 crew members aboard the vessel, representing almost two dozen countries.
Although hantavirus is normally linked to exposure to infected rodents’ urine or feces – a particular risk while cleaning – in rare cases it can spread between people. Here’s what to know about the disease.
Oceanwide Expeditions relayed an alarming timeline in a news release Monday about what it described as a “serious medical situation” aboard the Hondius, a polar-rated expedition ship off the coast of Cape Verde, along Africa’s western coast.
On April 11, a Dutch passenger died on board, but the cause of death could not be determined. His wife accompanied his body as it was brought off the ship on St. Helena, a remote island territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. After she left the ship, she became unwell and died, the company said.
About two weeks after the first death, a British passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa, where hantavirus was identified. That passenger is in the intensive-care unit in critical but stable condition, the Monday release said.
On Saturday, a third passenger died, a German national.
It has not been confirmed that all three of the deaths were caused by hantavirus, the company said.
Of the passengers, 19 are British, 17 are American, 13 are Spanish and eight are Dutch. More than half of the crew members are Filipino nationals.
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illness and death. They are spread mainly by rodents and can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which is more common in the United States, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which is found mostly in Europe and Asia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both are severe and potentially deadly.
It can be contracted by contact with droppings from infected rodents, commonly through inhalation when entering or cleaning unventilated areas. Person-to-person transmission is also possible, but more rare.
Symptoms typically start to show between one and eight weeks after first contact with the virus.
HPS affects the lungs and can cause fatigue, fever and muscle aches initially, followed by coughing and shortness of breath. Once inhaled, the virus can reach the lungs and infect cells that line tiny blood vessels in the lungs, allowing fluid to enter and making it difficult to breathe, according to the American Lung Association.
Thirty-eight percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms die of the disease, according to the CDC.
HFRS is less deadly but still serious. It affects the kidneys and causes headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever, nausea and blurred vision. Later symptoms include low blood pleasure, internal bleeding and kidney failure. Fatality rates vary between less than 1 percent and up to 15 percent.
Hantaviruses are found all around the world, but outbreaks are rare. In 1993, a mysterious outbreak of severe respiratory illness originating in the Southwest killed about 30 people. The deaths were the first documented cases in the Americas of hantavirus disease in humans and triggered a public health response that has helped prevent other similarly sized outbreaks to date, The Washington Post reported.
Hantavirus was named as the cause of death for Betsy Arakawa, pianist and wife of actor Gene Hackman, last year.
There were 890 laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases in the United States between 1993, when the CDC began tracking the illness, and the end of 2023. More than 90 percent of those occurred west of the Mississippi River. It is commonly linked to people with occupational exposure, such as those working in construction, pest control, janitorial and agricultural work, the American Lung Association said.
Globally, there may be as many as 150,000 cases of HFRS each year, according to a review by the American Society for Microbiology.
Treatment options are limited, so the best protection against the illness is to avoid contact with rodents and to take care when cleaning their droppings, wearing a well-fitted N95 mask. Health officials also warn against vacuuming or sweeping contaminated areas to avoid releasing particles into the air.
The company said the WHO is coordinating the medical evacuation of two symptomatic people – a British national and a Dutch national – as well as a full public health risk-assessment and support to the remaining passengers. On board, passengers are isolating, and hygiene protocols are in place.
The ship operator said it had not received authorization from Cape Verdean authorities to bring ill guests on land for treatment, adding that local health authorities had visited the ship to assess their condition. In a news release Monday, the company said it is considering sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands to disembark.
For more health news and content around diseases, conditions, wellness, healthy living, drugs, treatments and more, head to Healthing.ca – a member of the Postmedia Network.
What to know about hantavirus after 3 died in suspected cruise ship outbreak
The rodent-borne hantavirus is suspected in an outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Person in Peel Region isolating in connection to hantavirus outbreak: Jones
Ontario's health minister did not clarify how the person came to be connected to hantavirus
Author of the article:Cynthia McLeod
Published May 11, 2026 • Last updated 10 hours ago • 2 minute read
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones speaks at a press conference at Queen's Park in Toronto, on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. Photo by Laura Proctor /The Canadian Press
A third person in Ontario is isolating in connection with the hantavirus outbreak on the HV Hondius cruise ship.
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones told media on Monday during a news conference that a person in Peel Region is “isolating and being monitored by the local public health unit.” She did not clarify how the person came to be connected to hantavirus or any other information on the individual.
Late last week, the province said two Grey-Bruce County residents who had been on board the MV Hondius cruise ship were isolating at home after arriving back on April 25. The self-isolation time is 45 days, which is the virus’ longest potential incubation period.
Jones said the couple in Grey Bruce are still self-isolating and continue to be asymptomatic, with the local public health unit monitoring the situation closely.
Will there be more testing?
When asked if there was testing that was going to be done on the trio, Jones said that as they were not showing symptoms, tests wouldn’t be valuable.
“Initial conversations and feedback from Dr. Kieran Moore (Ontario’s chief medical officer of health) suggests that testing on asymptomatic (people) may not have the appropriate results, it may not be the best way to monitor,” she said. “That’s why these three individuals are self isolating, so we can see if there are any symptoms that come forward.”
Moore said the Grey Bruce couple disembarked the ship on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, then flew to Johannesburg on the same flight as an infected person, meaning they were exposed in two places.
Other Canadians have arrived home
Meanwhile, the four Canadians who had been stuck on the Hondius during the outbreak that was declared in early May arrived in Victoria, B.C. on Sunday after a pit stop at Quebec’s Saguenay-Bagotville Airport.
B.C.’s top doctor said they are isolating there for at least 21 days due to their connections with the province.
Dr. Bonnie Henry said that none of the Canadians who were on the ship had known direct contact with anyone who was infected.
They had gotten off the ship in Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands, earlier Sunday and were deemed asymptomatic before taking a plane that was chartered by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Global Affairs Canada, with support from the Canadian Armed Forces, according to The Canadian Press.
Three people — a Dutch couple and a German who had left the ship before the outbreak was declared — have died in connection to the ship.
Asymptomatic American tests positive
Officials in the U.S. said an American passenger who flew to Nebraska tested positive for hantavirus without showing symptoms. Another American showed mild symptoms.
A French passenger developed symptoms during their flight to Paris and later tested positive, officials in that country said.
The World Health Organization on Monday updated it overall tally of reported Andes hantavirus cases to nine.
torontosun.com
Ontario's health minister did not clarify how the person came to be connected to hantavirus
Author of the article:Cynthia McLeod
Published May 11, 2026 • Last updated 10 hours ago • 2 minute read
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones speaks at a press conference at Queen's Park in Toronto, on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. Photo by Laura Proctor /The Canadian Press
A third person in Ontario is isolating in connection with the hantavirus outbreak on the HV Hondius cruise ship.
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones told media on Monday during a news conference that a person in Peel Region is “isolating and being monitored by the local public health unit.” She did not clarify how the person came to be connected to hantavirus or any other information on the individual.
Late last week, the province said two Grey-Bruce County residents who had been on board the MV Hondius cruise ship were isolating at home after arriving back on April 25. The self-isolation time is 45 days, which is the virus’ longest potential incubation period.
Jones said the couple in Grey Bruce are still self-isolating and continue to be asymptomatic, with the local public health unit monitoring the situation closely.
Will there be more testing?
When asked if there was testing that was going to be done on the trio, Jones said that as they were not showing symptoms, tests wouldn’t be valuable.
“Initial conversations and feedback from Dr. Kieran Moore (Ontario’s chief medical officer of health) suggests that testing on asymptomatic (people) may not have the appropriate results, it may not be the best way to monitor,” she said. “That’s why these three individuals are self isolating, so we can see if there are any symptoms that come forward.”
Moore said the Grey Bruce couple disembarked the ship on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, then flew to Johannesburg on the same flight as an infected person, meaning they were exposed in two places.
Other Canadians have arrived home
Meanwhile, the four Canadians who had been stuck on the Hondius during the outbreak that was declared in early May arrived in Victoria, B.C. on Sunday after a pit stop at Quebec’s Saguenay-Bagotville Airport.
B.C.’s top doctor said they are isolating there for at least 21 days due to their connections with the province.
Dr. Bonnie Henry said that none of the Canadians who were on the ship had known direct contact with anyone who was infected.
They had gotten off the ship in Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands, earlier Sunday and were deemed asymptomatic before taking a plane that was chartered by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Global Affairs Canada, with support from the Canadian Armed Forces, according to The Canadian Press.
Three people — a Dutch couple and a German who had left the ship before the outbreak was declared — have died in connection to the ship.
Asymptomatic American tests positive
Officials in the U.S. said an American passenger who flew to Nebraska tested positive for hantavirus without showing symptoms. Another American showed mild symptoms.
A French passenger developed symptoms during their flight to Paris and later tested positive, officials in that country said.
The World Health Organization on Monday updated it overall tally of reported Andes hantavirus cases to nine.
Person in Peel Region isolating in connection to hantavirus outbreak: Jones
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The body’s most mysterious organ may play a key role in longevity and cancer
Now, a raft of research is recasting the thymus from a bit player to a potent regulator of aging and immune health across the lifespan.
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Carolyn Y. Johnson
Published May 14, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 5 minute read
Human Thymus Anatomy
The thymus. Photo by Adobe Stock
For decades, a mysterious, two-lobed organ nestled behind the breastbone has been overlooked by most physicians, thought to be a largely useless lump for most of human life: the thymus.
The ancient Greeks posited this knob of tissue might be the seat of the soul. In the early 1960s, a Nobel laureate dismissed it as a mere graveyard for cells, “an evolutionary accident of no very great significance.” Today, scientists know the thymus plays an essential role in setting up a functioning immune system in childhood, but then starts to rapidly shrink into obsolescence in puberty.
Now, a raft of research is recasting the thymus from a bit player to a potent regulator of aging and immune health across the lifespan.
Studies highlight the crucial role it might play in longevity, as well as protecting against cancer, autoimmune disease and cardiovascular risk. The work has ignited interest in finding ways to rejuvenate the thymus, slow its decay and better understand its function.
“It was completely assumed the thymus would become irrelevant,” said Hugo Aerts, director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Program at Mass General Brigham. In studies published in Nature, Aerts and colleagues found that people with a healthier thymus were less likely to develop lung cancer or to die of heart disease – or any cause. They also responded better to cancer immunotherapy treatments.
Key questions remain: Is the thymus the driver of these improved health outcomes or an indirect barometer of better overall health? Why does its decline vary between different people, and can that be slowed or stopped? And, perhaps most fundamentally, why did it take so long to reconsider the thymus?
The study that cast a new spotlight on the thymus started by serendipity.
Kameron Kooshesh, a medical student in David Scadden’s lab at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, was interested in understanding the role of the thymus in a narrow population – adults who received bone marrow transplants. As those patients rebuild their immune defenses, researchers knew the thymus plays a role just as it does in childhood.
Then, covid shut everything down. The team shifted to an experiment that could be conducted remotely, broadening the research question: What did the medical records of adults who had their thymus surgically removed suggest about their overall health?
The findings stunned the team. In the five years after surgeons removed their thymus, people were more than twice as likely to die of any cause than a similar set of people who had undergone heart or chest surgery but still had one. Those without thymuses were twice as likely to develop cancer. When researchers limited the analysis to people who didn’t have immune-related issues before surgery, those lacking a thymus were more prone to autoimmune disease.
“I frankly was thinking it was more of a way to keep my student active during covid and didn’t think it would show much,” Scadden said. “We were all just struck. This has a big impact, not just in the things we were worried about … but also all-cause mortality.”
The results were published in 2023 in the New England Journal of Medicine, along with a perspective piece that called it “pioneering research.”
In the annals of human anatomy, the thymus was relatively unexplored territory for much of medical history. Physicians often describe it as the last major organ to have its function discovered. It can be removed in a procedure called a “thymectomy,” which can be done for a variety of reasons, including to get better access to the heart. As far as anyone knew, those people did fine.
“These are very subtle signals. This is not like we take the heart out [and] the patient dies,” Aerts said.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that researchers began to piece together the crucial role the thymus plays during childhood.
The thymus educates immune cells called T cells (the “T” is for thymus), about how to defend against viruses and other pathogens and how to avoid attacking healthy tissue. Children born without it suffer severe immune problems and die without a transplant.
T cells “come out of the bone marrow, home into this organ, and at first, they have this school – I call it the kindergarten or preschool. The cells get to proliferate and expand extensively,” said Andri Lemarquis, a physician and scientist focused on restoring the thymus at City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment center. “Then they come to college and they get deleted. We don’t want any of them to attack our own body.”
The thymus is a key reason that our immune systems do not go haywire and attack our own cells, what immunologists call “self-tolerance.”
But in people’s teens, it begins to dissolve into fatty tissue. Many doctors considered it a largely vestigial organ for the bulk of human life.
The new spotlight on the thymus connects it to a wide range of health outcomes.
Aerts’s team came at the problem by using AI to find patterns in large, long-term databases used to track cardiovascular disease and cancer. As part of their health workup, thousands of people had been given CT scans that revealed their thymus. His team used AI to develop an overall thymic health score, and then searched for patterns in the health records following those people over years.
They found that a healthy thymus predicted good health over a broad set of criteria. In one set of data, people with a higher thymic health score were less likely to die of any cause over the next 12 years. They were less likely to develop lung cancer or die of heart disease.
Intriguingly, they also found that people with healthier thymuses were more likely to respond to cancer immunotherapy drugs, which trigger the immune system to fight cancer, but don’t work for many patients.
The new research can’t say the thymus is the cause of the better health outcomes, but it generates new leads to be explored.
For some, the new interest is long overdue.
“Finally, people realize the thymus is an important organ!” said Paola Bonfanti, a cell biologist at the Francis Crick Institute and a professor at the University College London who has been fascinated by a thymus paradox: It has an extraordinary ability to regenerate, but it is also one of the fastest-aging organs.
“It contains stem cells that are equal to the ones of our skin, and we make new skin every three weeks,” Bonfanti said.
Bonfanti is working to build a human thymus in the lab. In the long term, she hopes it might be possible to engineer a thymus from an organ donor, to help people who receive transplants tolerate their new organ without taking harsh anti-rejection drugs. Those protect the new organ from being attacked by the immune system but come with many side effects.
She’s also interested in probing whether there are ways to slow down the thymus’s natural deterioration. That work could have many applications in autoimmune diseases, improving people’s responses to vaccinations as they age or improving how people respond to cancer immunotherapies.
torontosun.com
Now, a raft of research is recasting the thymus from a bit player to a potent regulator of aging and immune health across the lifespan.
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Carolyn Y. Johnson
Published May 14, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 5 minute read
Human Thymus Anatomy
The thymus. Photo by Adobe Stock
For decades, a mysterious, two-lobed organ nestled behind the breastbone has been overlooked by most physicians, thought to be a largely useless lump for most of human life: the thymus.
The ancient Greeks posited this knob of tissue might be the seat of the soul. In the early 1960s, a Nobel laureate dismissed it as a mere graveyard for cells, “an evolutionary accident of no very great significance.” Today, scientists know the thymus plays an essential role in setting up a functioning immune system in childhood, but then starts to rapidly shrink into obsolescence in puberty.
Now, a raft of research is recasting the thymus from a bit player to a potent regulator of aging and immune health across the lifespan.
Studies highlight the crucial role it might play in longevity, as well as protecting against cancer, autoimmune disease and cardiovascular risk. The work has ignited interest in finding ways to rejuvenate the thymus, slow its decay and better understand its function.
“It was completely assumed the thymus would become irrelevant,” said Hugo Aerts, director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Program at Mass General Brigham. In studies published in Nature, Aerts and colleagues found that people with a healthier thymus were less likely to develop lung cancer or to die of heart disease – or any cause. They also responded better to cancer immunotherapy treatments.
Key questions remain: Is the thymus the driver of these improved health outcomes or an indirect barometer of better overall health? Why does its decline vary between different people, and can that be slowed or stopped? And, perhaps most fundamentally, why did it take so long to reconsider the thymus?
The study that cast a new spotlight on the thymus started by serendipity.
Kameron Kooshesh, a medical student in David Scadden’s lab at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, was interested in understanding the role of the thymus in a narrow population – adults who received bone marrow transplants. As those patients rebuild their immune defenses, researchers knew the thymus plays a role just as it does in childhood.
Then, covid shut everything down. The team shifted to an experiment that could be conducted remotely, broadening the research question: What did the medical records of adults who had their thymus surgically removed suggest about their overall health?
The findings stunned the team. In the five years after surgeons removed their thymus, people were more than twice as likely to die of any cause than a similar set of people who had undergone heart or chest surgery but still had one. Those without thymuses were twice as likely to develop cancer. When researchers limited the analysis to people who didn’t have immune-related issues before surgery, those lacking a thymus were more prone to autoimmune disease.
“I frankly was thinking it was more of a way to keep my student active during covid and didn’t think it would show much,” Scadden said. “We were all just struck. This has a big impact, not just in the things we were worried about … but also all-cause mortality.”
The results were published in 2023 in the New England Journal of Medicine, along with a perspective piece that called it “pioneering research.”
In the annals of human anatomy, the thymus was relatively unexplored territory for much of medical history. Physicians often describe it as the last major organ to have its function discovered. It can be removed in a procedure called a “thymectomy,” which can be done for a variety of reasons, including to get better access to the heart. As far as anyone knew, those people did fine.
“These are very subtle signals. This is not like we take the heart out [and] the patient dies,” Aerts said.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that researchers began to piece together the crucial role the thymus plays during childhood.
The thymus educates immune cells called T cells (the “T” is for thymus), about how to defend against viruses and other pathogens and how to avoid attacking healthy tissue. Children born without it suffer severe immune problems and die without a transplant.
T cells “come out of the bone marrow, home into this organ, and at first, they have this school – I call it the kindergarten or preschool. The cells get to proliferate and expand extensively,” said Andri Lemarquis, a physician and scientist focused on restoring the thymus at City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment center. “Then they come to college and they get deleted. We don’t want any of them to attack our own body.”
The thymus is a key reason that our immune systems do not go haywire and attack our own cells, what immunologists call “self-tolerance.”
But in people’s teens, it begins to dissolve into fatty tissue. Many doctors considered it a largely vestigial organ for the bulk of human life.
The new spotlight on the thymus connects it to a wide range of health outcomes.
Aerts’s team came at the problem by using AI to find patterns in large, long-term databases used to track cardiovascular disease and cancer. As part of their health workup, thousands of people had been given CT scans that revealed their thymus. His team used AI to develop an overall thymic health score, and then searched for patterns in the health records following those people over years.
They found that a healthy thymus predicted good health over a broad set of criteria. In one set of data, people with a higher thymic health score were less likely to die of any cause over the next 12 years. They were less likely to develop lung cancer or die of heart disease.
Intriguingly, they also found that people with healthier thymuses were more likely to respond to cancer immunotherapy drugs, which trigger the immune system to fight cancer, but don’t work for many patients.
The new research can’t say the thymus is the cause of the better health outcomes, but it generates new leads to be explored.
For some, the new interest is long overdue.
“Finally, people realize the thymus is an important organ!” said Paola Bonfanti, a cell biologist at the Francis Crick Institute and a professor at the University College London who has been fascinated by a thymus paradox: It has an extraordinary ability to regenerate, but it is also one of the fastest-aging organs.
“It contains stem cells that are equal to the ones of our skin, and we make new skin every three weeks,” Bonfanti said.
Bonfanti is working to build a human thymus in the lab. In the long term, she hopes it might be possible to engineer a thymus from an organ donor, to help people who receive transplants tolerate their new organ without taking harsh anti-rejection drugs. Those protect the new organ from being attacked by the immune system but come with many side effects.
She’s also interested in probing whether there are ways to slow down the thymus’s natural deterioration. That work could have many applications in autoimmune diseases, improving people’s responses to vaccinations as they age or improving how people respond to cancer immunotherapies.
The body’s most mysterious organ may play a key role in longevity and cancer
The ancient Greeks posited this knob of tissue might be the seat of the soul.
Toronto Public Health warns of potential measles exposure in west end
Disease spreads through the air and is highly contagious
Author of the article:Spiro Papuckoski
Published May 15, 2026 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 2 minute read
Skin covered with a measles rash.
Skin covered with a measles rash. Photo by Natalya Maisheva /Getty Images
Toronto Public Health said it is investigating a case of measles related to travel and warns residents of potential exposures in the city’s west end.
The health unit said Friday that the public may have been exposed earlier this month at businesses, restaurants and a gym.
On May 7, two exposures occurred at Lebanon Express, located at 327 Roncesvalles Ave., from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and at Fantail Cafe, up the street at 333 Roncesvalles Ave., from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The next day, two more potential measles exposures occurred at Henderson’s Brewery, located at 128A Sterling Rd., from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and at Annette Community Recreation Centre Gym, at 333 Annette St., from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Then, on Monday, a possible fifth exposure site happened at Islington Medical Pharmacy, located at 1243 Islington Ave., from 12:15 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Check vaccination and monitor for symptoms
Public health officials said anyone who believes they may have been exposed to the measles virus at any of the locations is advised to check their vaccination record and monitor for symptoms until 21 days past the exposure date.
“Anyone who has not received two doses of the measles vaccine or has not had measles is at risk of infection,” pubic health said.
Symptoms can include a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, a red rash on the face which spreads down the body, and small blue-white spots that can appear on the inside of the mouth and throat.
According to figures from the federal government, a total of 989 measles cases– 913 confirmed and 76 probable – have been reported this year in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan as of May 2.
Highly contagious disease
Measles, which is a vaccine-preventable disease, is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes or talks. The virus can stay in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours.
People can become infected if they breathe contaminated air or touch an infected surface, then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.
The health unit said, if symptoms develop, to contact a health-care provider immediately and take precautions when visiting a clinic or hospital.
health-infobase.canada.ca
toronto.ca
torontosun.com
Disease spreads through the air and is highly contagious
Author of the article:Spiro Papuckoski
Published May 15, 2026 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 2 minute read
Skin covered with a measles rash.
Skin covered with a measles rash. Photo by Natalya Maisheva /Getty Images
Toronto Public Health said it is investigating a case of measles related to travel and warns residents of potential exposures in the city’s west end.
The health unit said Friday that the public may have been exposed earlier this month at businesses, restaurants and a gym.
On May 7, two exposures occurred at Lebanon Express, located at 327 Roncesvalles Ave., from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and at Fantail Cafe, up the street at 333 Roncesvalles Ave., from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The next day, two more potential measles exposures occurred at Henderson’s Brewery, located at 128A Sterling Rd., from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and at Annette Community Recreation Centre Gym, at 333 Annette St., from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Then, on Monday, a possible fifth exposure site happened at Islington Medical Pharmacy, located at 1243 Islington Ave., from 12:15 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Check vaccination and monitor for symptoms
Public health officials said anyone who believes they may have been exposed to the measles virus at any of the locations is advised to check their vaccination record and monitor for symptoms until 21 days past the exposure date.
“Anyone who has not received two doses of the measles vaccine or has not had measles is at risk of infection,” pubic health said.
Symptoms can include a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, a red rash on the face which spreads down the body, and small blue-white spots that can appear on the inside of the mouth and throat.
According to figures from the federal government, a total of 989 measles cases– 913 confirmed and 76 probable – have been reported this year in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan as of May 2.
Highly contagious disease
Measles, which is a vaccine-preventable disease, is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes or talks. The virus can stay in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours.
People can become infected if they breathe contaminated air or touch an infected surface, then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.
The health unit said, if symptoms develop, to contact a health-care provider immediately and take precautions when visiting a clinic or hospital.
Measles and Rubella Weekly Monitoring Report — Canada.ca
Weekly surveillance reports and monitoring maps for measles and rubella. Data are updated every Monday.
Measles
Translate this site using Google Translate in 简体中文, 繁體中文, فارسی, தமிழ், Español, Português, Français, Русский, Italiano, 한국어, اردو, and other languages. Toronto Public Health (TPH) is confirming a third case of laboratory confirmed measles in 2026 that is travel related. The measles vaccine is...
toronto.ca
Toronto Public Health warns of potential measles exposure in west end
Toronto Public Health said it is investigating a case of measles related to travel and warns residents of potential exposure. Read more.
New giant dinosaur identified after Thailand dig
Researchers believe the dinosaur roamed between 100 and 120 million years ago and is the largest ever found in Southeast Asia
Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published May 15, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
A model skeleton of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, Thailand's largest dinosaur, at the Thainosaur Museum in Bangkok. Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA /AFP
Scientists have identified a new giant dinosaur from remains discovered after a dig in Thailand.
The long-necked herbivore stretches 27 metres and weighs about 27 tonnes — the weight of about nine adult elephants, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
Researchers believe the dinosaur roamed the area that’s now known as Thailand between 100 and 120 million years ago and is the largest ever found in Southeast Asia.
‘Big by most people’s standards’
Researchers from Thailand and the U.K. identified the species from fossils found beside a pond in northeastern Thailand 10 years ago. They said the finding sheds light on how ancient climatic condition changes allowed these giant dinosaurs to develop.
The full name of the newly-discovered dino is Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, with “naga” in reference to a serpent in Southeast Asian folklore, “titan” referring to gods in Greek mythology and chaiyaphumensis deriving “from Chaiyaphum,” the Thai province where the fossils were found, BBC News reported.
“Our dinosaur is big by most people’s standards — it likely weighed at least 10 tonnes more than Dippy the Diplodocus,” lead researcher Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul said, referring to the enormous composite cast that was previously on display at London’s Natural History Museum, per AFP.
Sethapanichsakul, a Thai PhD student, called the newly found sauropod “the last titan” as it was uncovered in one of the youngest rock formations where dinosaurs are found in Thailand, the University College London noted.
The area later evolved to become a shallow sea, “so this may be the last or most recent large sauropod we will find in Southeast Asia,” Sethapanichsakul said.
A model skeleton of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis. Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA /AFP
Excavation completed in 2024
Nagatitans belonged to a subgroup of sauropods that began about 140 million years ago. About 90 million years ago, they became the only sauropods left in the world, thriving until the dinosaur age ended 66 million years ago, thanks to an asteroid strike, Al Jazeera reported.
The first remains of the giant dinosaur were unearthed by locals a decade ago, but the excavation wasn’t completed until 2024, the study noted. The fossils partially looked like those of previously discovered sauropods, however it had enough unique features to be considered a new species.
A life-size reconstruction is on display at Bangkok’s Thainosaur Museum.
aljazeera.com
bbc.com
torontosun.com
Researchers believe the dinosaur roamed between 100 and 120 million years ago and is the largest ever found in Southeast Asia
Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published May 15, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
A model skeleton of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, Thailand's largest dinosaur, at the Thainosaur Museum in Bangkok. Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA /AFP
Scientists have identified a new giant dinosaur from remains discovered after a dig in Thailand.
The long-necked herbivore stretches 27 metres and weighs about 27 tonnes — the weight of about nine adult elephants, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
Researchers believe the dinosaur roamed the area that’s now known as Thailand between 100 and 120 million years ago and is the largest ever found in Southeast Asia.
‘Big by most people’s standards’
Researchers from Thailand and the U.K. identified the species from fossils found beside a pond in northeastern Thailand 10 years ago. They said the finding sheds light on how ancient climatic condition changes allowed these giant dinosaurs to develop.
The full name of the newly-discovered dino is Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, with “naga” in reference to a serpent in Southeast Asian folklore, “titan” referring to gods in Greek mythology and chaiyaphumensis deriving “from Chaiyaphum,” the Thai province where the fossils were found, BBC News reported.
“Our dinosaur is big by most people’s standards — it likely weighed at least 10 tonnes more than Dippy the Diplodocus,” lead researcher Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul said, referring to the enormous composite cast that was previously on display at London’s Natural History Museum, per AFP.
Sethapanichsakul, a Thai PhD student, called the newly found sauropod “the last titan” as it was uncovered in one of the youngest rock formations where dinosaurs are found in Thailand, the University College London noted.
The area later evolved to become a shallow sea, “so this may be the last or most recent large sauropod we will find in Southeast Asia,” Sethapanichsakul said.
A model skeleton of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis. Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA /AFP
Excavation completed in 2024
Nagatitans belonged to a subgroup of sauropods that began about 140 million years ago. About 90 million years ago, they became the only sauropods left in the world, thriving until the dinosaur age ended 66 million years ago, thanks to an asteroid strike, Al Jazeera reported.
The first remains of the giant dinosaur were unearthed by locals a decade ago, but the excavation wasn’t completed until 2024, the study noted. The fossils partially looked like those of previously discovered sauropods, however it had enough unique features to be considered a new species.
A life-size reconstruction is on display at Bangkok’s Thainosaur Museum.
Scientists identify massive new dinosaur following Thailand dig
Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis had enough unique features to be considered a new species.
Giant new dinosaur identified from remains found in Thailand
The nagatitan is the largest dinosaur found in South-East Asia and weighs as much as nine elephants.
bbc.com
New giant dinosaur identified after Thailand dig
The long-necked herbivore stretches 27 metres and weighs about 27 tonnes — the weight of about nine adult elephants. Read on.
Ach! Back to the Loch for you Nessie.New giant dinosaur identified after Thailand dig
Researchers believe the dinosaur roamed between 100 and 120 million years ago and is the largest ever found in Southeast Asia
Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published May 15, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
A model skeleton of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, Thailand's largest dinosaur, at the Thainosaur Museum in Bangkok. Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA /AFP
Scientists have identified a new giant dinosaur from remains discovered after a dig in Thailand.
The long-necked herbivore stretches 27 metres and weighs about 27 tonnes — the weight of about nine adult elephants, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
Researchers believe the dinosaur roamed the area that’s now known as Thailand between 100 and 120 million years ago and is the largest ever found in Southeast Asia.
‘Big by most people’s standards’
Researchers from Thailand and the U.K. identified the species from fossils found beside a pond in northeastern Thailand 10 years ago. They said the finding sheds light on how ancient climatic condition changes allowed these giant dinosaurs to develop.
The full name of the newly-discovered dino is Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, with “naga” in reference to a serpent in Southeast Asian folklore, “titan” referring to gods in Greek mythology and chaiyaphumensis deriving “from Chaiyaphum,” the Thai province where the fossils were found, BBC News reported.
“Our dinosaur is big by most people’s standards — it likely weighed at least 10 tonnes more than Dippy the Diplodocus,” lead researcher Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul said, referring to the enormous composite cast that was previously on display at London’s Natural History Museum, per AFP.
Sethapanichsakul, a Thai PhD student, called the newly found sauropod “the last titan” as it was uncovered in one of the youngest rock formations where dinosaurs are found in Thailand, the University College London noted.
The area later evolved to become a shallow sea, “so this may be the last or most recent large sauropod we will find in Southeast Asia,” Sethapanichsakul said.
A model skeleton of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis. Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA /AFP
Excavation completed in 2024
Nagatitans belonged to a subgroup of sauropods that began about 140 million years ago. About 90 million years ago, they became the only sauropods left in the world, thriving until the dinosaur age ended 66 million years ago, thanks to an asteroid strike, Al Jazeera reported.
The first remains of the giant dinosaur were unearthed by locals a decade ago, but the excavation wasn’t completed until 2024, the study noted. The fossils partially looked like those of previously discovered sauropods, however it had enough unique features to be considered a new species.
A life-size reconstruction is on display at Bangkok’s Thainosaur Museum.
Scientists identify massive new dinosaur following Thailand dig
Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis had enough unique features to be considered a new species.View attachment 34417View attachment 34416Giant new dinosaur identified from remains found in Thailand
The nagatitan is the largest dinosaur found in South-East Asia and weighs as much as nine elephants.
New giant dinosaur identified after Thailand dig
The long-necked herbivore stretches 27 metres and weighs about 27 tonnes — the weight of about nine adult elephants. Read on.