Ancient seashell fossils discovered in the southern province of Surat Thani are Thailand’s latest paleontological discovery.
The fossils were discovered at four separate locations around Ban Khuan Niyom School and nearby palm plantations in villages Moo 4, 6 and 8 in tambon Sin Pun of Phrasaeng district.
Experts from the Surat Thani Geological and Natural History Fossil Museum and Mineral Resources Regional Office 4 conducted a survey of the sites. They were joined by local residents and the man who first discovered the fossils, Somchit Klaiprasong.
The area is described as undulating land used for palm tree plantations and to store water for agriculture.
When digging about 1-2 metres into the soil, layers of hard rock composed of limestone, mudstone and sandstone containing fossilised remains of various bivalves and gastropods were found.
There were at least five different types of seashells ranging in size from 0.5 to 5 centimetres and densely packed within the rock layers.
Mr Somchit said experts speculated the fossils belong to the Khlong Min Formation, dating back to the Jurassic period, roughly 145 million to 200 million years ago, when the area was under water.
The geological characteristics suggest the layer in the area accumulated much like a coastal lagoon.
The fossils are not rare enough to require protection, but local residents were given some initial information about them.