Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum
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Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum ( th, พิพิธภัณฑ์ไดโนเสาร์ภูเวียง) is a
geological Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Eart ...
museum mainly exhibiting
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
s. It is under the administration of the
Department of Mineral Resources The Department of Mineral Resources is a department of the national government of South Africa which is responsible for overseeing the mining industry of South Africa and the exploitation of the country's mineral resources. The department's or ...
,
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...
, of the
Royal Thai Government The Government of Thailand, or formally the Royal Thai Government ( Abrv: RTG; th, รัฐบาลไทย, , ), is the unitary government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The country emerged as a modern nation state after the foundation of t ...
, and situated in the Khok Sanambin public area in Tambon Nai Muang,
Wiang Kao district Wiang Kao ( th, เวียงเก่า, ) is a district (''amphoe'') of Khon Kaen province, northeastern Thailand. History The major district (''king amphoe'') was created by splitting three ''tambons'' from Phu Wiang district. Its creatio ...
, Khon Kaen province in the northeastern region of
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. The museum was constructed with a budget from the
Tourism Authority of Thailand The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) ( th, การท่องเที่ยวแห่งประเทศไทย) is an organization of Thailand under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Its mandate is to promote Thailand's tourism in ...
under the supervision of the Department of Mineral Resources and comprises an area of . It has been open to the public since 2009.


Background

Dinosaur fossils were first discovered in Thailand during mineral exploration in the Phu Wiang area of Khon Kaen province. In 1976 Sudham Yaemniyom, a geologist, discovered a piece of bone on a streambed, Huai Pratu Tima, which was later identified as a
distal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...
part of the left
femur The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...
of a
sauropod Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their bo ...
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
, regarded as the first dinosaur discovery of Thailand. Since 1976, the Department of Mineral Resources, together with the Thai-French Paleontological Project, investigated the dinosaurs in the
Phu Wiang mountains Phu Wiang ( th, ภูเวียง) is a short, relatively isolated mountain range in the Khorat Plateau of Northeastern Thailand, today within the area of Khon Kaen Province. It is best known as the site of the discovery of dinosaur fossils i ...
. The project found many vertebrae, teeth, and dinosaur footprints mainly from sandstone of the Early
Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...
Sao Khua Formation The Sao Khua Formation () is a middle member of the Khorat Group. It consists of an alteration of pale red to yellowish-gray, fine to medium-grained sandstone and grayish-reddish brown siltstone and clay. Rare pale red to light gray conglomerates, ...
(about 130 million years old), including sauropod and
theropod Theropoda (; ), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally c ...
, with a wide range of sizes, from a hen up to a large
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
with about 15 meters long. These finds led Thai people to visit the dinosaur sites, and Princess
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, The Princess Royal and Princess Debaratana Rajasuda ( th, มหาจักรีสิรินธร, ; ; born April 2, 1955), formerly Princess Sirindhorn Debaratanasuda Kitivadhanadulsobhak ( th, สมเ ...
visited Site 2 on 3 November 1989. She also revisited the site, viewing Site 3 and the Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum, with the committees of the Prince Mahidol International Award, of the
Prince Mahidol Award Foundation A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
, on 25 October 2008.


Site development

After
Phu Wiang National Park Phu Wiang National Park (PWNP) is in Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand, covering the area of the Phu Wiang Mountains. It is best known for its numerous dinosaur bone paleontological sites, The park is one of the world's largest dinosaur ...
was established in 1991, the Khon Kaen province and Phu Wiang district administrations, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Department of Mineral Resources, and other government agencies recognized the importance of the dinosaur sites in the national park. Consequently, the Tourism Authority was allocated a budget to develop four dinosaur sites, namely Site 1, Site 2, Site 3, and Site 9, by constructing small buildings covering the sites to protect the dinosaur bones from disturbances, together with walking trails connecting the sites.


Museum origin

Discovery of the dinosaurs on the Phu Wiang mountains, especially the sauropod dinosaur ''Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae'', named after Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, was regarded as important and raised awareness of the Phu Wiang mountains. Some government agencies agreed that it was appropriate to build the Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum and chose the Khok Sanambin public area with an area of as the place of construction with a budget from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to the size of 5,500 square meters. The Department of Mineral Resources was delegated to look after and administer the site by establishing a permanent exhibition and opening it to the public in 2001.


Museum composition

The Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum houses activities including a research and investigation section, fossil replication and conservation, a fossil collection house, library, permanent exhibition, administration office, and service space such as a canteen, souvenir shop, snack and drinks shop, car parking space, and a 140-person capacity auditorium. The Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum is a geological learning source for pupils and students from many educational institutes and other agencies, including educational promotion foundations.


Dinosaurs from Phu Wiang

* '' Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae'' * '' Siamosaurus suteethorni'' * '' Siamotyrannus isanensis'' * '' Kinnareemimus khonkaenensis''Buffetaut, E., Suteethorn, V., and Tong, H. (2009) An earliest 'ostrich dinosaur' (Theropoda: Ornithomosauria) from the Early Cretaceous Sao Khua Formation of NE Thailand, pp. 229-243, in E. Buffetaut, G. Cuny, J. Le Loeuff, and V. Suteethorn (eds.), ''Late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Ecosystem in SE Asia''. Geological Society, London, Special Publication 315.


Accessibility

The word "Phu Wiang" in the name of the museum results from the fact that the museum used to be located in the
Phu Wiang District Phu Wiang (, ) is a district (''amphoe'') in the northwestern part of Khon Kaen province, northeastern Thailand. Geography Neighboring districts are (from the northeast clockwise): Ubolratana, Nong Ruea, Chum Phae, Wiang Kao, Nong Na Kham o ...
, though since 2006 it is located in the newly established Wiang Kao district. It is about 80 kilometers to the west of the province capital
Khon Kaen Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...
.


References

{{authority control Dinosaur museums Natural history museums in Thailand Buildings and structures in Khon Kaen province Tourist attractions in Khon Kaen province Museums established in 2001 2001 establishments in Thailand Paleontology in Thailand