The Discovery
On October 20, 2026, Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources confirmed the discovery of six dinosaur footprints in Udon Thani. Dated to roughly 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period, these impressions form a single trackway preserved in sandstone belonging to the Phu Phan Formation. The finding represents the first recorded dinosaur footprints within Udon Thani province.
What Scientists Found
Researchers attributed the trackway to a meat-eating theropod dinosaur that moved on two hind legs. The exact species is not specified in the source; please check the official notice. The discovery expands an extensive national record documented by the Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum, which covers 12 provinces: Khon Kaen, Kalasin, Prachin Buri, Nakhon Phanom, Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Mukdahan, Chaiyaphum, Sakon Nakhon, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, and Udon Thani.
Thailand's dinosaur research history began in 1976 with the discovery of the country's first dinosaur bone at Phu Wiang in Khon Kaen. In 1984, eight years after the initial bone discovery, researchers identified Thailand's first dinosaur footprints at Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary in Loei.
Why It Matters
Footprints belong to a category known as trace fossils. While skeletal remains help scientists reconstruct physical anatomy, trackways preserve dynamic behavioral evidence, such as how animals moved across ancient landscapes. Paleontologists examine trackways to evaluate several key features:
- Body size and weight, estimated using footprint dimensions, stride spacing, and depth.
- General dinosaur groups, distinguishing three-toed clawed theropod tracks from large, rounded sauropod footprints.
- Locomotion and group habits, distinguishing between walking and running, or revealing possible herd activity.
Preservation requires precise environmental conditions. A dinosaur must leave an imprint on moist ground, such as soft sediment along river margins or floodplains. If the impression dries and is gently buried under subsequent sediment layers, compaction converts the deposit into sandstone or shale over time until uplift and erosion expose the surface.
Source: dinosaur fossil discovery - BingNews · Published October 22, 2026 · Photo by Alexandra Smielova on Unsplash