26-7-2023 (BANGKOK) A groundbreaking discovery in the field of paleontology has been made by Thai and French researchers at the Phu Noi archaeological site in Kalasin province. An almost complete set of bones belonging to a previously unknown dinosaur species, named Minimocursor phunoiensis gen. et sp. nov., has been unearthed, marking Thailand’s 13th dinosaur finding. The significant discovery was published in the 2023 edition of Diversity, an esteemed international, peer-reviewed open-access journal, on July 13.
The official announcement of the remarkable finding will be made by the Department of Mineral Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, during a press conference at its headquarters in Bangkok on Wednesday (July 26).
Dr. Sita Manitkoon from the Palaeontological Research and Education Centre at Mahasarakham University led the expedition in collaboration with the Sirindhorn Museum and France’s Laboratoire de Géologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS.
The newfound dinosaur, fondly referred to as ‘a small runner,’ measures approximately 60 cm in length. As a herbivorous creature, it is believed to have roamed the Earth during the late Jurassic period, nearly 150 million years ago.
The excavation and preservation process took the dedicated researchers nearly five years to complete. The bones of the Minimocursor phunoiensis are considered one of the most comprehensive remains of Neornithischian dinosaurs ever discovered in Southeast Asia, according to the department’s statement on Facebook.
