Thai palaeontologists have discovered a new species of pterosaur, marking the first time such a prehistoric flying reptile has been found in Thailand.
The fossil, unearthed from the Phra Prong fossil site in Watthana Nakhon district, Sa Kaeo province, has been named Garudapterus buffetauti, or "Garuda-wing", in honour of both its mythical appearance and a prominent French palaeontologist.
Rare find: Fossil remains of a 130-million-year-old short-tailed pterosaur were uncovered in the eastern province of Sa Kaeo.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Mahasarakham University jointly announced the discovery on Friday, which was led by Dr Sita Manitkoon, a palaeontologist at the university's Research and Education Centre for Palaeontology.
The find includes part of a skull and jawbone with distinctive teeth, preserved in Early Cretaceous strata dating back some 130 million years.
The fossil belongs to a short-tailed pterosaur species in the Gnathosaurinae group. It had a wingspan of roughly 2.5 metres and a uniquely spoon-shaped snout with outward-pointing, slender teeth, ideal for catching fish, he said.
The genus name Garudapterus derives from "Garuda", a mythical bird-like creature, while the species name buffetauti pays tribute to Dr Eric Buffetaut, who has contributed to Thai palaeontology for over four decades.
The discovery, published in the international journal Cretaceous Research in March, is a collaborative effort involving researchers from Mahasarakham University, the Department of Mineral Resources, the University of São Paulo in Brazil, and Shihezi University in China.
It represents not only a new species but also the first confirmed pterosaur species in Southeast Asia, he said.
Despite Thailand's track record in dinosaur discoveries -- with 13 new species found in the northeastern region -- pterosaur fossils remain extremely rare. Until now, only isolated teeth and bone fragments had been reported.
"This finding marks a significant discovery in the eastern region. It also shows that fossil discoveries are possible beyond the northeast," he said.