Siamraptor: a new dinosaur species discovered in Thailand

Siamraptor Suwati is a new species of dinosaur that has just been discovered by a team of Thai and Japanese palaeontologists in Thailand.

Presentation of the Siamraptor Suwati

Nicknamed Siamraptor Suwati, the dinosaur lived about 120 million years ago (Cretaceous period).

The generic name is derived from "Siam", the ancient name of Thailand, and the Latin word raptor.

The specific name honours Suwat Liptapanlop, who supported the North East Wood and Petrified Wood Resources Research Institute.

The ancient creature was a member of Carcharodontosauria, a group of large carnivorous dinosaurs from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

In fact, Siamraptor suwati is the oldest known carcharodontosaurian dinosaur and the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Description of Siamraptor

Reconstruction of the Siamraptor Skull - credit: Chokchaloemwong et al

The Siamraptor's body length has been estimated at eight metres.

According to the researchers, the Siamraptor had "shark teeth" and was "probably a fierce, fast and dynamic beast", British palaeontologist Steve Brusatte told National Geographic.

Siamraptor, a dinosaur discovered in Isan

Nakhon Ratchasima

The fossilised remains of at least four Siamraptor suwati individuals - skull, spine, limbs and hips - have been recovered from the Khok Kruat formation in Nakhon Ratchasima province, in northeastern Thailand's Isan region.

The fossils were analysed by Dr Duangsuda Chokchaloemwong of Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University and her colleagues from Thailand and Japan.

"Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Siamraptor suwati is a basal species of Carcharodontosauria, which implies a new view of the palaeobiogeographic context of this group," said the palaeontologists.

"Siamraptor suwati is the best-preserved carcharodontosaurus theropod from Southeast Asia, and it sheds new light on the early evolutionary history of carcharodontosaurs."

Source: sci-news.com, Wikipedia