Siamosaurus
Siamosaurus (meaning 'Siamese lizard') is a carnivorous theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Thailand. It is only known from fossil teeth, so paleontologists don't know much about its size, but it might have reached a length of 9.1 meters (30 ft). The teeth that were discovered looked a lot like those of Spinosaurus, so it probably ate fish.[1]
| Siamosaurus Temporal range: Barremian,
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| Life restoration (right) with the sauropod dinosaurs Phuwiangosaurus in the background and the crocodyliform Sunosuchus in the middle left. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Unrecognized taxon (fix): | Siamosaurus |
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A study made in 2010 by Roman Amiot and his colleagues compared the teeth of spinosaurids like Baryonyx, Irritator, Siamosaurus, and Spinosaurus to other meat-eating dinosaurs. They found that spinosaurids had very semiaquatic (living partly in water, and partly on land) lifestyles. This means they lived in habitats like those of hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and turtles. It also means they could exist at the same time and place as other large predators without competing for food.[2]
Siamosaurus Media
Map of northeastern Thailand, with outcrops of the Sao Khua Formation (dark gray) and the Khok Kruat and Phu Kradung Formations (light gray)
Illustration of caudal (tail) vertebrae of "Phuwiang spinosaurid B" from the Sao Khua Formation, whose remains are potentially attributable to S. suteethorni
Tentatively estimated size of Siamosaurus (in gray) and "Phuwiang spinosaurid B" (in red), which may represent the same taxon
Diagram comparing the holotype tooth (first from left) with other spinosaurid teeth from Asia
Hypothetical life restoration
Partial tooth of an indeterminate spinosaurid (KDC-PV-0003) and possible Siamosaurus tooth (GMNH-PV-999), in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo
Skeletal diagram showing known elements of spinosaurid specimen SM-KK 14
Tooth of the related genus Spinosaurus, Museo di Storia Naturale A. Stoppani, Lombardy
Spinosaurid teeth are often mistaken for those of plesiosaurs (above) and vice versa, though there are certain differences between their dentition.
Restoration of Ichthyovenator, a spinosaurine from what is now Laos and one of the closest known relatives of Siamosaurus.'
References
- ↑ Buffetaut, E.; and Ingevat, R. (1986). Unusual theropod dinosaur teeth from the Upper Jurassic of Phu Wiang, northeastern Thailand. Rev. Paleobiol. 5: 217-220.
- ↑ Amiot, R.; Buffetaut, E.; Lécuyer, C.; Wang, X.; Boudad, L.; Ding, Z.; Fourel, F.; Hutt, S.; Martineau, F.; Medeiros, A.; Mo, J.; Simon, L.; Suteethorn, V.; Sweetman, S.; Tong, H.; Zhang, F.; Zhou, Z. (2010). "Oxygen isotope evidence for semi-aquatic habits among spinosaurid theropods". Geology. 38 (2): 139–142. Bibcode:2010Geo....38..139A. doi:10.1130/G30402.1.