Bangkok, June 10: Fossilised shellfish about 250-355 million years old has been discovered in Khao Phanom district in Thailand's southern province of Krabi. The director general of the Department of Primary Industries and Mines, Anusorn Nuangphonmak, said the DPIM had found a large number of ancient shellfish fossils in land belonging to a village headman in Krabi.
All the fossil specimens are saltwater shellfish dating from the Carboniferous-Permian period 250-355 million years ago, making them considerably older than the fossils found in the Laem Pho shell cemetery which are a mere 20-35 million years old.
Describing the discovery at the priceless heritage, Anusorn said the find would help scientists determine the environmental conditions of the area in prehistoric times. The information gathered would be also invaluable in helping hunt for fossils in the future.
Ancient fossils have been discovered in several areas of Krabi, he said, adding that the Na Khao Tambon Administrative Organisation would establish the area where the latest fossils had been found as a community study and as a local heritage point.

Bureau Report