TITLE:
New Vertebrate Fossil Site from the Early Cretaceous Sao Khua Formation, Sakon Nakhon Province, Northeastern Thailand
AUTHORS:
Phornphen Chanthasit, Suravech Suteethorn, Wilailuck Naksri, Haiyan Tong, Kamonlak Wongko, Teppei Sonoda
KEYWORDS:
Vertebrate, Sao Khua Formation, Early Cretaceous, Northeastern Thailand
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.9 No.10,
September
24,
2019
ABSTRACT: A new vertebrate fossil site, “Phu Sung” in Sakon Nakhon Province was discovered. Various vertebrate fossils belonging to fresh water shark, bony fish, turtle, crocodile and dinosaur were found in reddish silty mudstone of the Early Cretaceous Sao Khua Formation of the Khorat Group. Crocodilian remains including a complete skull and partial articulated skeleton are very well preserved associated with turtle remains. Moreover, well preserved 19 turtle shells were found accumulated together. These discoveries will certainly fulfill our knowledge about these aquatic taxa from the Early Cretaceous Sao Khua Formation. The exceptional preservation of Phu Sung fossils could probably relate to the paleoenvironment in the Early Cretaceous of Thailand.