Outside Bangkok Mall, Experts Discover Fossils that Dates Back 66 Million Years

Thai researchers determined that more than 70 shells lodged in a walkway outside a Bangkok shopping mall are relics of marine animals that lived more than 66 million years ago.

Fossils in Bangkok

(Photo : Wikimedia Commons)

The snail-shaped fossils, measuring up to 12 centimeters (five inches) across, were discovered over a 400-meter length of pavement near the Siam Square shopping complex in a prominent tourist destination by an eagle-eyed consumer.

Seventy-seven ammonite fossils were discovered by paleontologists from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

According to Thai experts, more than 70 shells found under a walkway outside a Bangkok shopping mall have been identified as remains of marine species that lived more than 66 million years ago.

An eagle-eyed shopper noticed the snail-shaped fossils, measuring up to 12 centimeters (five inches) wide, spanning a 400-meter stretch of pavement outside the Siam Square retail complex in a popular tourist attraction.

Paleontologists from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment unearthed 77 ammonite fossils.

Also Read: Giant Marine Reptile Fossil Found Way Above the Swiss Alps

What is a Fossil?

A fossil is the deceased organism's preserved remnants or traces. The formation of a fossil is referred to as fossilization.

Living creatures are highly unusual to become fossilized. Most animals' corpses waste away after death, leaving nothing behind. A fossil can, however, develop under specific conditions.

The soft elements of an animal's body decay after death, leaving the complex components, such as the bones, behind. This is covered by microscopic rock particles known as sediment.

The silt around the skeleton begins to consolidate and convert to rock as fresh layers of sediment are added on top.

Water pouring through the sandstone then begins to disintegrate the bones. The bone is replaced by minerals in the water, producing a rock imitation of the original bone known as a fossil.

Why Study Fossils?

Fossils provide valuable information on the evolution of life on Earth. They may educate us about the origins of life and humanity, as well as how the Earth and its environment have evolved through geological time and how continents that are currently separated were once linked.

Fossils are crucial for understanding evolution and how plants and animals adapt to their surroundings. Fossil data shows how organisms developed and how this process may be represented as a 'tree of life,' demonstrating that all species are connected.

Rocks can also be dated using fossils. Different types of fossils appear in rocks of various ages due to evolution, allowing geologists to utilize fossils to understand geological history. Fossils are one of the essential instruments for age correlation for geologists. Ammonites, for example, are excellent stratigraphic guide fossils; they may be used to establish the relative age of two or more layers of rock, or strata, in various locations within the same nation or throughout the world.