200 million year-old fossil found in Thailand’s Krabi

200 million year-old fossil found in Thailand’s Krabi

BANGKOK, June 10 (Xinhua) — A fossilized shellfish thought to be 250-355 million years old has been discovered in Khao Phanom district in Thailand’s southern province of Krabi, according to a report of the Department of Primary Industries and Mines (DPIM) available Tuesday.

Director-General of the DPIM Anusorn Nuangphonmak said that the DPIM had found a large number of ancient shellfish fossils in land belonging to a village headman in Krabi.

Fossils included Spiriferella sp., similar to mussels; specimens with smoothers skins, which were probably Kitakamithris sp. or Phricodothyris; and the net-like Bryozoa Fenestella sp. and Polypora sp.

Describing the discovery as “the priceless heritage of the locality and the nation,” Anusorn said that the find would help scientists determine the environmental conditions of the area in prehistoric times, and that the information gathered would be invaluable in helping hunt for fossils in the future.

Ancient fossils have been discovered in several areas of Krabi.