Author(s)

Phornphen Chanthasit^1*, Suravech Suteethorn^2,3, Wilailuck Naksri⁴, Haiyan Tong², Kamonlak Wongko⁵, Teppei Sonoda⁶

¹Sirindhorn Museum, Department of Mineral Resources, Sahatsakhan, Kalasin, Thailand.
²Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Mahasarakham, Thailand.
³Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand.
⁴Northeastern Research Institute of Petrified Wood and Mineral Resources, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
⁵Phu Wiang Fossil Research Center and Dinosaur Museum, Department of Mineral Resources, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
⁶Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, Fukui, Japan.

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.

Vertebrate, Sao Khua Formation, Early Cretaceous, Northeastern Thailand

Chanthasit, P. , Suteethorn, S. , Naksri, W. , Tong, H. , Wongko, K. and Sonoda, T. (2019) New Vertebrate Fossil Site from the Early Cretaceous Sao Khua Formation, Sakon Nakhon Province, Northeastern Thailand. Open Journal of Geology, 9, 619-622. doi: 10.4236/ojg.2019.910057.