Ancient animal footprints discovered at Thai waterfall mark country’s oldest find

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A groundbreaking discovery of prehistoric animal footprints, estimated to be 225 million years old, has been made at the Tat Yai waterfalls located on the border between Phetchabun’s Nam Nao district and Khon Kaen’s Phu Pha Man district.

 

The revelation came from the Department of Mineral Resources, which stated that a team from the Mineral Resources Office Region 2 (Khon Kaen), headed by palaeontologist Tida Liard, conducted a preliminary survey of the site. The investigation was sparked by a report last year of animal footprints in Phu Pha Man National Park.

 

The team, led by Tida, unearthed five tracks of footprints embedded in mudstone on the lower part of the Huai Hin Lad rock formation. They identified the first two sets of prints as belonging to a sauropod – a category of long-necked, plant-eating dinosaurs that roamed the earth during the late Triassic period, between 225 to 220 million years ago. These footprints stand as the oldest animal trails ever discovered in Thailand.

 

Two additional tracks were hypothesised to belong to smaller creatures, while the last set was attributed to an archosaur reptile. Of particular interest to the team were the archosaur’s prints, as the animal’s paw details, including the claws of both the front and back paws, were clearly imprinted on the stone.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo courtesy of iStock

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-01-15

 

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[jacko45k]

Not another historic footprint found in Thailand, I have viewed quite a few and rarely see it as more than an impression that could be imagined as anything from a foot, hand, paw or back end!

[flyingtlger]

I think they found my mother-in-law's footprint....That old hag 

[Foxx]

Have they worked out which Senator was responsible for stepping in wet cement?

[ikke1959]

same footprint as we sometimes see in and around temples??? or was it one legged Dino???

[BMW Overlander]

I found these in Kalasin back in 2014

 

[neeray]

These footprints should bring what, another million tourists, maybe once TAT sees them, three to five million?

[metisdead]

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