Phuwiangosaurus: Research Database
Titanosauria (Sauropoda) · Early Cretaceous (~145-130 MYA) · Asia — Thailand (Khorat Plateau, Sao Khua Formation)
Research Note: Phuwiangosaurus was a titanosaurian sauropod from the Early Cretaceous of Thailand — one of the first known titanosaurs from Southeast Asia and an important taxon for understanding titanosaur evolution and biogeography in the Cretaceous of Asia.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
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Suteethorn et al. 2010: Phuwiangosaurus and new data on titanosaurian sauropods from the Cretaceous of Thailand
Suteethorn et al. 2010 provide comprehensive data on Phuwiangosaurus from the Early Cretaceous of Thailand, establishing it as a titanosaurian and documenting titanosaur diversity in the Cretaceous of Southeast Asia
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Confirmed | A | 2010 | Fossil | Suteethorn et al., Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Taxonomy |
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Klein & Sander 2012: Phuwiangosaurus and additional data on titanosaur biology and evolution
Klein & Sander 2012 provide additional data on Phuwiangosaurus and titanosaur biology and evolution, further contextualising its significance within Titanosauria
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Confirmed | B | 2012 | Fossil | Klein & Sander, Geological Society Special Publications | Biology |
Active Debate: Titanosaur Biogeography and Cretaceous Asian Dinosaur Faunas
Whether titanosaurs like Phuwiangosaurus were widespread across Asia or localized in Southeast Asia is debated. The biogeographic history of titanosaurs in the Cretaceous of Asia — and their relationships to those of other continents — is key to understanding sauropod evolution.
The diversity of titanosaurs in the Cretaceous of Southeast Asia — and their ecological roles — is still being understood through new discoveries.
What We Still Do Not Know About Phuwiangosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimens known.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Body size: Moderate-sized titanosaur.
- Reproduction: Unknown.
In Depth
Phuwiangosaurus was first named as a titanosaurid dinosaur in 1994, and was the first named sauropod dinosaur known to have come from Thailand. The name Phuwiangosaurus translates as ‘Phu Wiang lizard’ and is a reference to the district of Phu Wiang District of Thailand. The species name P. sirindhornae was in honour of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand.
The problem with the first specimen of Phuwiangosaurus was that although it was articulated, it only represented about ten per cent of the animal, something that left a lot of questions about Phuwiangosaurus unanswered. However, 2009 saw the publication (Suteethorn et al) of a description of a second specimen of Phuwiangosaurus, and this dramatically improved our understanding of this titanosaurid dinosaur. With most of the vertebral column recovered, even if some vertebrae were only partially preserved, the total length of this second specimen was estimated to be about twelve meters long. Phuwiangosaurus was also confirmed to be similar to Nemegtosaurus from Mongolia, something which has now seen Phuwiangosaurus placed within the Nemegtosauridae family of titanosaurs. Altogether this second specimen had approximately sixty per cent of the total remains preserved, something that marks it as one of the best preserved dinosaurs from Thailand, as well as one of the most complete titanosaurs ever found.
Further Reading
- Jurassic sauropod dinosaurs of Thailand: a preliminary report. In T. Thanasutipitak (ed.). Proceedings of the International Symposium on Biostratigraphy of mainland Southeast Asia. Chiang Mai University. 2: 415-425. - V. Martin, E. Buffetaut & V. Sweethorn - 1993. - A new genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Sao Khua formation (Late Jurassic or early Cretaceous) of northeastern Thailand. - Comptes Rendus de l’ Academie des Science de Paris. 319(2): 1085-1092. - V. Martin, E. Buffetaut & V. Sweethorn - 1994. - Description of the type and referred material of Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae Martin, Buffetaut and Suteethorn, 1994, a sauropod from the Lower Cretaceous of Thailand. - Oryctos 2: 39-91. - V. Martin, E. Buffetaut & V. Sweethorn - 1999. – A new skeleton of Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from NE Thailand - Geological Society, London, Special Publications v. 315; p. 189-215 doi:10.1144/SP315.14. - S. Suteethorn, J. Le Loeuff, E. Buffetaut, V. Suteethorn, C. Talubmook & C. Chonglakmani - 2009.
