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The whale of a find: the skeleton of a 39-foot leviathan discovered in Thailand, perfectly preserved, is thought to be up to 5,000 years old
- The remains were found near the coast in Samut Sakhon, west of Bangkok
- They are thought to have come from a Bryde whale, a species still alive today
- Carbon dating will be undertaken to obtain a more accurate age for the creature
- Analysis of the whale will shed light on conditions thousands of years ago
The perfectly preserved remains of a 39-foot whale unearthed in Thailand are estimated to be between 3,000 and 5,000 years old, experts estimate.
Researchers found the partially fossilized bones – which belonged to a Bryde whale – about 12km offshore in Samut Sakhon, west of Bangkok.
Bryde’s whales, which can grow to 13-28 tons in weight, live in tropical and temperate seas around the world and are still found in the waters around Thailand today.
Over the past 10,000 years, tectonic activity has raised the region about 13 feet above sea level. This explains how the whale ended up on what is now land.
The perfectly preserved remains of a 40-foot-long whale (pictured) unearthed off the coast of Thailand are believed to be around 3,000-5,000 years old, experts said.
Researchers found partially fossilized bones, pictured – which belonged to a Bryde whale – about 12km offshore in Samut Sakhon, west of Bangkok.
Mammalian researcher Marcus Chua of the National University of Singapore told the BBC that the exceptionally preserved bones were “a rare find”.
“There are few whale sub-fossils in Asia,” he explained, and the expert added that even fewer are “in such good condition.”
The images of the whale skeleton were shared on Facebook by Thailand’s environment minister, Varawut Silpa-archa, son of the country’s former prime minister.
About four-fifths of the remains have been recovered so far, which are carefully excavated from the surrounding clay by researchers from Thailand’s departments of mineral and marine and coastal resources.
The skeleton includes a nearly 10 foot long head, along with fins, ribs, vertebrae, and a shoulder blade.
The researchers also discovered other remains, including those of barnacles, crabs, shark teeth and rays.
The whale bones will soon be carbon dated to provide a more accurate estimate of the whale’s age, with results expected to arrive next month.
Bryde’s whales (one of which is pictured) – which can grow to 13-28 tons in weight – live in warm tropical and temperate seas and are still found in the waters around Thailand today
Mammal researcher Marcus Chua of the National University of Singapore told the BBC that the almost perfectly preserved bones were “a rare find.” “There are few whale sub-fossils in Asia,” he explained, with even fewer, the expert added, “in such good condition”
According to Mr. Chua, the discovery will help researchers better understand how Bryde’s whales lived thousands of years ago and reveal how they might have differed in the past.
The remains will also shed light, he told the BBC, on “paleobiological and geological conditions at the time – including sea level estimation, sediment types and contemporary biological communities.”
‘This discovery [will provide] a window into the past once the skeleton is dated.
The images of the whale skeleton were shared on Facebook by Thailand’s environment minister, Varawut Silpa-archa, son of the country’s former prime minister.
Researchers found partially fossilized bones – which belonged to a Bryde whale – about 12km offshore in Samut Sakhon, west of Bangkok.
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