| Cover
story
: 25
July
2004
Vol. 21
No .8 |
| THAILAND
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A New Destination for
Prehistoric Study |
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By
Ninnart
Photos by courtesy of Department of Mineral
Resources
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Verdant forests, crystal clear
blue seas, casuarina-lined beaches, colourful
coral reefs...these, as most visitors think
of, are not all about Thailand. There are a
lot more in this country that you haven't discovered.
If you have known Thailand only through the
eyes of travellers, this time you'll know her
via palaeontologists' point of view. In this
article, we will give brief explanations of
the fossils of dinosaurs, orang-utans and the
Lepidotes fish which were recently found only
in the northeastern part of Thailand.
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| The
holotype fossils of Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae
from the Phu Wiang pit. |
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History
of Thai Palaeontology
Thailand has become significant for palaeontology
since the first unearthing of ancient fish fossils
in the northern part of Thailand in 1916. But
it was not until 1976 that the earliest dinosaurs'
fossils were discovered in Phu Wiang county, Khon
Kaen province in the northeastern part. Even though
the evidences collected at that time could not
pinpoint to which species the fossils belonged
to, they indicated that the fossils were of herbivorous
sauropods. Soon after that, around 1979, a palaeontological
team in the Northeast reported on the uncovered
fossils of dinosaurs and croco-
diles in scattered places. However, the remarkable
discovery that marked as a milestone in the development
of Thai palaeontology was in 1981, also in Phu
Wiang county, in which two femora of dinosaurs
were uncovered. |
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The left ribs of
Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae.
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| Moreover, the
expedition team found the dentition of dinosaurs
and fossils of ancient animals such as crocodiles,
fish and turtles. In 1982, the same team discovered
a piece of dinosaur's rib in the rock layer, and
when they continued digging up, several fragments
of dinosaur fossils were revealed. |
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| Dinosaurs' fossils
found in Thailand up till now dated from 225 to
100 million years ago. For example, the ischium
of a herbivorous pro-sauropod discovered in 1992
in Nam Nao county, Phetchabun province, was of
the Nam Phong Formation of the late Triassic (210
million years). These fossils are the oldest ones
dug up in Southeast Asia, and this uncovering
of pro-sauropod is the first in this region. When
compared with the prosauropods from sites out
of Asia, these fossils found in Thailand show
a larger structure with a length of eight metres. |
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The ischium
of a herbivorous
prosauropod discovered in 1992.
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| The earliest
sauropod named Isanosaurus attavipachi
was discovered in the Nam Phong Formation of the
Triassic. The femora and other remains show characteristics
of the four feet walking herbivore with a long
neck and long tail. Its body length measures 16
metres. |
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Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae,
a new species of the sauropods
found only in Thailand.
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| This discovery
proves that the sauropods existed before the Jurassic
(190 million years) and that the present site
of Thailand has long been connected to the Asian
Continent. |
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The lower jaw fossil
of a new hominoid aged about
7-9 million years
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Many more fossils
have been dug up so far. To name the most significant,
the discovery of Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae
is described here in brief.
As mentioned above, in 1982, heaps of dinosaur
fossils were uncovered by a palaeontologist team
in Phu Wiang county. That was the first time that
they found several parts of a dinosaur in a pit.
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Apes
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| The characteristics
show that it was a new species of the gigantic
herbivorous sauropods that walked on four feet
and had the long neck and tail. By royal permission,
it was named after HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn,
a princess full of enthusiasm for knowledge, particularly
in history, art and culture. |
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| Top |
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The
Recent Discoveries of
Fossils
Lately, there have been reports on the discovery
of a new species of orang-utan from the Late Miocene
in Thailand, Khoratpithecus piriyai gen. et
sp. Nov. It was named in honour of Mr Piriya
Vachajitapan who found the remains in a sand pit
in Chaloem Phrakiat county, Nakhon Ratchasima
province in the northeastern Thailand and who
handed in specimens to the Department of Mineral
Resources in August 2002. The fossils discovered
are the lower jaw of a new hominoid from the Late
Miocene (7-9 million years) with eleven teeth
remaining intact.
The characteristics indicate that they share the
unique features with orang-utans more than other
known Miocene hominoids. Even though the fossils
of Khoratpithecus piriyai gen.et sp. Nov.
are similar to Khoratpithecus Chiangmuanensis,
they are grouped into a new species due to the
absence of anterior digastric muscle impressions.
That area had developed to be an organ to make
a voice to communicate within the herd.
So far, there have been no discoveries of apes
bearing these characteristics. Thus, this leads
to the conclusion that these fossils were the
closest known relative of orang-utans. Since the
fossil record of the living great apes is poor,
the uncovering of these new fossils are vital
for an understanding of their origins and evolution.
In addition, in the same area, fossils of other
mammals were found as well, such as four-tusk
elephants, ancient rhinoceroses, ancient horses
and ancient giraffes, whose age ranges are about
7-9 million years.
Lately, a new semionotid fish, Lepidotes Buddha
butrensis n. sp., has been discovered. These
fish fossils were described to be a new species
of the late Jurassic, early Cretaceous, the Phu
Kradueng Formation. This is because this fish
had dorsal ridge scales and more than one suborbital
present on the cheeks. These characteristics have
not been found in any other fish fossils. The
fossils were uncovered on the slope of the Phu
Nam Jun hill, Kalasin province, by the abbot of
Phutthabut Temple. The name of this fish was derived
from that of the temple, which is near the fossils'
pit where numerous specimens are housed. |
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Palaeontologists at work at
the hill of Phu Nam Jun, where the Lepidotes
fish fossils were newly discovered in Thailand.
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| Semionotids
are the fish having a different jaw formation
from that of other fish species. They have relatively
short separate frontal jaws which enable them
to form the mouth into a tube-like shape to suck
food from afar. This differed from fish in early
eras which could suck only food near their mouths.
Moreover, Lepidotes fish possess hard scales which
supported the body as the vertebral bone had not
yet been fully developed like those of the fish
in the Tertiary. |
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Fossils
of Lepidotes buddhabutrensis n. sp.
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The
discovery site is a layer of accumulated sandstone
sediment housing more than 100 specimens of fish
fossils. Thus, palaeontologists assumed that that
area was possibly once a large pond in which various
kinds of fish inhabited, that in some intervals
prolonged droughts occurred, draining the pond
and killing the fish, and that as a result, the
fish bodies piled up in rock layers and became
fossils. The hill of Phu Nam Jun is considered
as the earliest site possessing the perfect-conditioned
fish fossils in the largest number in Thailand.
All these discoveries are evidently crucial for
palaeontological study in Thailand. At present,
Thai palaeontologists, in cooperation with a French
palaeontological team are devoting themselves
to further researches and expeditions.
Dinosaur Museums
If you are one of the growing number of dinosaur
enthusiasts, you are recommended to visit either
of the following museums: |
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HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
visiting a dinosaur discovery site at Phu Kum
Khao, Kalasin province.
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1.
The Phu Kum Khao Dinosaur Museum, near
Sakkawan Temple, Sahatsakhan county in Kalasin
province (519 km Northeast of Bangkok). To reach
there, drive from Kalasin town along Highway 227.
Around three kilometres before arriving in Sahatsakhan
county, turn right towards Sakkawan Temple. Then
drive ahead for a further 800 m.
This 500-rai (200 acres) place features stories
of prehistoric creatures before the dinosaur era,
fundamental geological studies, dinosaur lives,
etc. The entrance to this museum was designed
after that of the Egyptian Abu Simbel. The interior
atmosphere gives you the mysterious feeling of
being in the Pyramid of Gizeh. Outside the museum,
plants and trees of the Jurassic are grown surrounding
the building. There are a large pond and huge
dinosaur replicas standing there imitating the
way they were supposed to be millions of years
ago. The museum opens daily from 8:30 to 17:30.
Tel: 0 4387 1014. |
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Sauropod fossils at the Phu
Kum Khao site.
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2.
The Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum, Phu Wiang
county, Khon Kaen province (449 km from Bangkok).
To reach there, drive from Khon Kaen town along
the Khon Kaen-Chum Phae road. Then turn right
onto Highway 2038 to enter Phu Wiang county. Drive
a further 12 km to reach tourist service centre.
This museum presents the fundamental geological
knowledge and details of the discoveries and researches
of the local sites and of the neighbouring areas.
It opens daily from 8:30 to 17:00. Tel: 0 4343
8204-6.
• Please refer to Map of Thailand on page
73 for the locations of the provinces mentioned
above.
• Special thanks to Dr.Varavudh Suteethorn
and Dr.Yaowalak Chaimanee of the Palaeontology
Section, Geological Survey Division,and to the
officials concerned of the PR Division, Department
of Mineral Resources, for giving academic reports
and pictures to Thaiways. |
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