Thailandia, scoperta nuova specie di antico alligatore. FOTO

La scoperta paleontologica di una antica specie di alligatore è stata resa nota durante una conferenza stampa presso il Dipartimento di risorse minerarie di Bangkok. La ricerca prende il via da un antico fossile scoperto nell'aprile 2005 nella provincia di Nakhon Ratchasima, che avrebbe al massimo 230mila anni

epa10925055 Director of the Thai ministry of natural resources and environment's fossil protection division Preecha Saithong explains the paleontological discovery of a fossil of a new ancient alligator species 'Alligator Munensis', during a press conference at the Mineral Resources Department in Bangkok, Thailand, 18 October 2023. The new species Alligator Munensis' fossil was discovered in April 2005 in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand and is at most 230,000 years old. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

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LA SCOPERTA

La scoperta paleontologica di una antica specie di alligatore, "Alligator Munensis", è stata resa nota durante una conferenza stampa presso il Dipartimento di risorse minerarie di Bangkok. La ricerca prende il via da un antico fossile scoperto nell'aprile 2005 nella provincia di Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailandia, che avrebbe al massimo 230mila anni

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epa10925050 (L-R) Director of the Thai ministry of natural resources and environment's fossil protection division Preecha Saithong, the deputy director general of Mineral Resources Department Thitiphan Chuchanchot and the lecturer of the Geology Department of Chulalongkorn University, Assistant Professor Kantapon Suraprasit (R) explain the paleontological discovery of a fossil of a new ancient alligator species 'Alligator Munensis', during a press conference at the Mineral Resources Department in Bangkok, Thailand, 18 October 2023. The new species Alligator Munensis' fossil was discovered in April 2005 in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand and is at most 230,000 years old. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

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LE CARATTERISTICHE/1

Questa ricerca svela le caratteristiche uniche del cranio trovato in Thailandia, che condivide stretti legami evolutivi con l’alligatore cinese (Alligator sinensis)

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epa10925051 (L-R) Director of the Thai ministry of natural resources and environment's fossil protection division Preecha Saithong, the deputy director general of Mineral Resources Department Thitiphan Chuchanchot and the lecturer of the Geology Department of Chulalongkorn University, Assistant Professor Kantapon Suraprasit (R) explain the paleontological discovery of a fossil of a new ancient alligator species 'Alligator Munensis', during a press conference at the Mineral Resources Department in Bangkok, Thailand, 18 October 2023. The new species Alligator Munensis' fossil was discovered in April 2005 in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand and is at most 230,000 years old. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

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LE CARATTERISTICHE/2

Sono state individuate diverse caratteristiche del cranio, uniche per l’Alligator munensis, tra cui un muso⁤ largo e corto, un cranio alto, ‍un⁣ numero ridotto di alveoli dentali e narici che‍ sono posizionate lontano⁤ dalla punta ‍del muso

epa10925045 The fossil of a new ancient alligator species, 'Alligator Munensis', during a press conference at the Mineral Resources Department in Bangkok, Thailand, 18 October 2023. The new species Alligator Munensis' fossil was discovered in April 2005 in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand and is at most 230,000 years old. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

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IL NOME

I ricercatori Gustavo ⁢Darlim, Marton⁤ Rabi, Kantapon Suraprasit, ‍Pannipa ‍Tian e il loro ‍team hanno identificato la ⁢nuova specie esaminando⁢ un cranio fossilizzato quasi completo e hanno chiamato la specie Alligator munensis ⁢in riferimento al vicino fiume Mun

Testa alligatore e capi contraffatti in vetrina a Elmas

epa10925047 A woman takes a picture of the fossil of a new ancient alligator species, 'Alligator Munensis', during a press conference at the Mineral Resources Department in Bangkok, Thailand, 18 October 2023. The new species Alligator Munensis' fossil was discovered in April 2005 in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand and is at most 230,000 years old. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

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CRANIO SIMILE

Inoltre, sono state notate alcune somiglianze tra i crani di Alligator munensis e l’alligatore cinese. Ad esempio, la presenza di un piccolo foro nel tetto della bocca, una cresta sulla parte superiore del cranio e una cresta rialzata dietro le narici

epa10925049 Lecturer of the Geology Department of Chulalongkorn University, Assistant Professor Kantapon Suraprasit explains the paleontological discovery of a fossil of a new ancient alligator species 'Alligator Munensis', during a press conference at the Mineral Resources Department in Bangkok, Thailand, 18 October 2023. The new species Alligator Munensis' fossil was discovered in April 2005 in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand and is at most 230,000 years old. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

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ANTENATO COMUNE

Le due specie potrebbero⁢ aver condiviso un antenato comune nelle pianure dei sistemi fluviali Yangtze-Xi e Mekong-Chao Phraya

epa10925046 The fossil of a new ancient alligator species, 'Alligator Munensis', during a press conference at the Mineral Resources Department in Bangkok, Thailand, 18 October 2023. The new species Alligator Munensis' fossil was discovered in April 2005 in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand and is at most 230,000 years old. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

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LE PREDE

L’Alligator munensis ha grandi alveoli dentali verso ‍la ‌parte posteriore della sua bocca: potrebbe avere avuto denti grandi in grado di schiacciare i gusci. Per questo potrebbe aver mangiato prede con guscio duro, come le lumache