Fossilized Teeth of a Mysterious Beast Unearthed in Phu Noi, Kalasin Province, Thailand
According to a research team from Kasetsart University, Mahasarakham University, and the Sirindhorn Museum in Thailand, three fossilized teeth have been identified as belonging to a species of beast never before recorded anywhere in the world.
Thailand during the age of beasts – (Graphic: Chatcharin Somboon)
According to Sci-News, initial analysis results indicate that the beast left behind teeth belonging to the Tyrannosauroidea branch, which is part of the theropod group known as “lizard-hipped dinosaurs,” including famous carnivorous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex (T-rex).
This suggests that the newly discovered beast in Thailand is a distant relative of the renowned T-rex.
Dr. Chatchalerm Ketwetsuriya from Kasetsart University stated that although Tyrannosauroidea primarily spread across North America and thrived during the Late Cretaceous period, the oldest members of this branch, dating back to the mid-Jurassic, have been discovered in Europe and Asia.
Fossil parts unearthed in Thailand – (Photo: Chowchuvech et al.).
Most of the present-day Eurasian landmass, as well as North America, belonged to the ancient supercontinent Laurasia during that time.
This means that this dinosaur branch likely originated from what is now Asia before spreading to the western part of Laurasia.
Most species closely related to T-rex have been found in China and Mongolia, but the new discovery in Thailand adds to the growing evidence that they also appeared in the southeastern part of ancient Laurasia.
The three fossilized teeth in Thailand date back to the late Tithonian stage of the Late Jurassic period, approximately 145 million years ago.
The Phu Noi area is renowned as one of the richest fossil sites for vertebrate animals from the Mesozoic Era (including the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, which covers the time of the dinosaurs) in Southeast Asia.
“Many species have been unearthed at this site, including freshwater sharks, ray-finned fish, lungfish, amphibians, turtles, crocodiles, flying lizards, and dinosaurs,” the authors noted.
Three other dinosaur species — including one theropod — had previously been identified at this site.
The research has just been published in the journal Tropical Natural History.
