Siamosaurus suteethorni is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now Thailand during the Early Cretaceous period. It is confidently known only from tooth fossils. Its body size is uncertain, though it has been estimated at between 5. 1 to 9. 1 metres in length. Its teeth were straight, oval to circular in cross section, and lined with distinct lengthwise grooves.
About Siamosaurus in brief
Siamosaurus suteethorni is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now Thailand during the Early Cretaceous period. It is confidently known only from tooth fossils; the first were found in the Sao Khua Formation, with more teeth later recovered from the younger Khok Kruat Formation. Siamosaurus lived in a semi-arid habitat of floodplains and meandering rivers, where it coexisted with other dinosaurs, as well as pterosaurs, fishes, turtles, and crocodyliforms. Its body size is uncertain, though it has been estimated at between 5. 1 to 9. 1 metres in length. The holotype tooth is 62. 5 millimetres long. Its teeth were straight, oval to circular in cross section, and lined with distinct lengthwise grooves. It would have had a long, low snout and robust forelimbs, and one possible skeleton indicates the presence of a tall sail running down its back, another typical trait of this theropod family. The generic name alludes to the ancient name of Thailand, \”Siam\”, and is combined with the Ancient Greek word σαῦρή, meaning ‘lizard’ or’reptile’ The specific name honours Thai geologist and palaeontologist Varavudh Suteethorns. The best-preserved specimen from the teeth described, designated DMR TF 2043, was chosen as the holotype of the type species. Sculptures of the animal have been erected in various places in northeastern Thailand, including Bangkok and other places in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The original original fossils are currently housed in the palaeonological collection of the Department of Mineral Resources, Mineral Resources of the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources, and are on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Bangkok. The type species was formally described in 1986. In 2009, four teeth from China previously attributed to a pliosaur—under the species \”Sinopliosaurus\” fusuiensis—were identified as those of a spinosurid, possibly Siaminosaur. It has been placed in the subfamily Spinosaurinae. Some experts believe it may not be a dinosaur at all, with some arguing that its teeth are hard to differentiate from those of other Spinosaurids. Isotope analysis of the teeth of Siam dinosaur indicates semiaquatic habits, and there is fossil evidence of it feeding on sauropod dinosaurs, either via scavenging or active hunting. It may have reduced the prominence of some contemporaneous crocodilians competing for the same food sources. In 1986, a reassessment of the remains by the same authors attributed them to a new genus and species, which they named Siam dinosaurs suteshorni. In 2012, it was revealed that the fossil remains belonged to a different species, called Sutesharnosaurus.
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This page is based on the article Siamosaurus published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 02, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
