Tourist's Facebook Photo Leads to Discovery of 120-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Footprints in Thailand
This week, six three-toed footprints belonging to a carnivorous theropod, estimated to be around 120 million years old, were verified at Phu Phra Bat National Park in Thailand. The discovery was sparked by a visitor named Pichai Prathetsena, who, while exploring a stream, took photos and shared them on Facebook, prompting a response from officials. The Department of Mineral Resources investigated the area, uncovering a series of six prints from the Early Cretaceous period within the Phu Phan formation. Each footprint measures approximately 11 inches in length and 10 inches in width, indicating the creature likely stood 4.5 feet at the hip and measured 21 feet overall. The park is currently closed for protective evaluations, with future plans for educational and tourism initiatives.
Key facts
- Six dinosaur footprints were confirmed at Phu Phra Bat National Park in Thailand
- The prints date to approximately 120 million years ago, in the Early Cretaceous period
- They belong to a carnivorous theropod estimated at 21 feet (6.3 meters) long and 4.5 feet (1.42 meters) tall at the hip
- Each three-toed print measures 11 inches (29 centimeters) long and 10 inches (26 centimeters) wide
- Tourist Pichai Prathetsena spotted the marks and posted photos to a Thai Facebook page called "What is this creature?"
- Thailand's Department of Mineral Resources surveyed the site after seeing the post
- The park is closed to tourists while protection and erosion-control strategies are developed
- Officials may transform the site into a national hub for education, research, and geological and paleontological tourism
Entities
Artists
- Pichai Prathetsena
Institutions
- Department of Mineral Resources
- Department of Public Relations
- Phu Phra Bat National Park
- Bangkok Post
- PetaPixel
Locations
- Thailand
- Phu Phra Bat National Park
- Phu Phan formation
- Portugal
- Colombia