A new neornithischian dinosaur discovered in Thailand

A new dinosaur skeleton, very well preserved, has been discovered in the province of Kalasin, in northeastern Thailand.

Minimocursor phunoiensis, the oldest known neornithischian dinosaur from Southeast Asia, roamed our planet during the Late Jurassic period, about 145 million years ago.

“Neornithischia is part of a branch of herbivorous dinosaurs including ornithopods, marginocéphalans and a diversity of small basal bipedal forms that were historically called hypsilophodontids,” said Sita Manitkoon, a researcher at the University of Mahasarakham, and her colleagues.

The exceptional articulated skeleton of Minimocursor phunoiensis was discovered in the locality of Phu Noi, in the lower part of the Phu Kradung formation, in the province of Kalasin, in Thailand.

Location of Phu Kradung on a map of Thailand

“The locality of Phu Noi contains a large quantity of specimens and has yielded an exceptionally articulated skeleton, which represents one of the best-preserved dinosaurs ever discovered in Southeast Asia,” said paleontologists.

“It is the oldest trace of neornithischians in Southeast Asia and the first dinosaur taxon named in the Phu Kradung formation in Thailand.

Minimocursor phunoiensis also presents a combination of characters resembling those of small-bodied ornithischian dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous of China.

The discovery of this dinosaur provides new information on the biodiversity, biogeography, and early evolutionary history of neornithischians during the interval between the Upper Jurassic and the Lower Cretaceous,” the authors said.

Holotype of Minimocursor phunoiensis. Photo: Manitkoon et al, doi

“Many remaining bones are still being prepared, including another skull.”.

These unpublished specimens could provide a better understanding of the biology of Minimocursor phunoiensis in the future,” the paleontologists said.

See also:

Thailand, land of dinosaurs

Dinosaur footprints discovered in northern Thailand

The Siamraptor: a new dinosaur species discovered in Thailand

Source: SCI News