9 October 2009
A fossilised pig discovered in a sand pit in Nakhon Ratchasima eight years ago has been found to belong to a new species.
And scientists have also named a new species of stingray in the past year.
The developments were revealed yesterday by the Nakhon Ratchasima-based Northeastern Research Institute for Petrified Wood and Mineral Resources, which supports research projects by scientists.
The institute said two new species had been confirmed this year.
The pig fossils were found in the Moon River basin in Nakhon Ratchasima by palaeontologist Rattanaphorn Hanta in 2001.
The discovery was published early this year in a palaeontology journal to confirm it was a new ancient pig species.
The pig, which lived in the late-Miocene period 6 million to 8 million years ago, was named Merycopotamus thachangensis after the Tha Chang village where the fossils were found.
"The pig fossils show the pig had a unique tooth shape pattern which is different from prehistoric pig species, but close to the pig species of present day," Ms Rattanaphorn said.
Judging from the shape of its skull, the pig lived in similar conditions to the hippopotamus. The pig, which is about 800cm tall with short legs, lived in swamps with adjacent grassland.
She found the fossils at a sand pit near the Moon River in Chalerm Phrakiat district, 20 metres below the surface.
Fossils of several other species, such as a mammoth and rhinos, were also uncovered.
Her team was waiting for confirmation of two new ancient elephant species also found as fossils at the site, Ms Rattanaphorn said.
Another species given a formal name by the institute this year is a stingray.
Chavalit Vidthayanon, the institute's deputy director, said a stingray of the genus Himantura, found in Songkhla lake in the southern provinces of Songkhla and Phatthalung, had been confirmed as a new species.
Known as pla kraben bua, the fish was well known among local people.
It has a sharply pointed snout and rounded wing. However, scientists do not know how many are left.
"I can't say exactly how many of them still exist.
"But local fishermen catch only 20 or so a year now, down from about five tonnes a year two decades ago, which suggests there are very few left," Mr Chavalit said.
He said the fish was at risk of extinction because of the poor condition of the Songkhla lake.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/25278/fossilised-pig-belongs-to-new-species
(Submitted by Terry Colvin)
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