Dinosaur fossil found in Cambodia

A fossil found in early last year in Koh Kong province of Cambodia has been identified as the bones of a dinosaur. (Photo courtesy of Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment)

Phnom Penh (VNA) – A fossil unearthed on Koh Por island in Koh Kong province of Cambodia has been identified as the bones of a dinosaur, Hun Marady, director of provincial environment department was quoted by the country's Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) news agency as saying.

Researchers have spent about a year working on the fossil and concluded that the fossil is from a dinosaur. However, the official said, more time is needed to determine what kind of dinosaur it is.

Cambodia's Environment Minister Say Samal posted an image of an animal bone on his Facebook page with the short status "The first ever dinosaur fossil found on Koh Por island in Cambodia".

This is the second time that Cambodian environmental officials have announced the discovery of dinosaur fossils on Koh Por island, close to Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary in Bak Klong commune. It was found in a geological strata that indicated its age was in the region of 65 to 190 million years old.

Earlier on March 9 last year, Lim Vanchan from the heritage office at Environment Ministry’s General Directorate of Local Communities, also announced the discovery of a fossil that is 70cm long and 20cm wide and was embedded in the rocks./.