JOSEPH KAOS JR New Straits Times 17 Nov 14;
KUALA TERENGGANU: Scientists and geologists who trekked a mountain in upper Terengganu have discovered what they believe to be fossils of three different types of dinosaurs that may have lived in the area 66 million years ago or earlier.
The fossils are said to be unrelated to those found earlier in Pahang by a Universiti Malaya research team, including an announcement last Thursday that they had discovered a fossil tooth of what is believed to be a herbivorous dinosaur in a sedimentary rock formation.
The specimen was found not far from the location of where the first dinosaur fossil was discovered and announced in February as that of the carnivorous Spinosauridae dinosaur.
The exact location of the Pahang discoveries was not disclosed to prevent raiders from entering the site.
The discoveries in Terengganu came during a 10-day expedition at Gunung Gagau carried out by the Mineral and Geoscience Department and the Malaysian Geological Heritage Group on Oct 13.
“They are significant findings that will lead to even more dinosaur fossil discoveries,” said department director-general Datuk Yunus Abdul Razak at the unveiling of the fossils at Wisma Darul Iman here yesterday.
He said the fossils found at the mountain in Hulu Terengganu were unrelated to the ones discovered in Pahang and were also from different dinosaur species.
“Also, the fossils that we found were more intact, " he said.
The fossils, which consisted of several footprints, bones and teeth, were possibly of three different dinosaur species.
A tooth, measuring about 1.5cm in length, and two footprints which were found at some rock boulders are believed to be of the Iguanodon dinosaur species.
Two other different footprints were also found, believed to be that of dinosaurs of the theropod and sauropod families.
The dinosaur bones that were unearthed from a rock outcrop have yet to be identified.
The Iguanodon dinosaurs were large, bulky herbivores, known for their spiked thumbs and iguana-like teeth.
They lived in the late Jurassic period to the late Cretaceous period, which is about 163 million to 66 million years ago.
Fossils of the Iguanodon were previously found in Korat, Thailand.
Sauropods were enormous plant-eating dinosaurs with long necks, similar to the giraffe, while theropods were primarily carnivorous dinosaurs.
Yunus said the next step was to find the best way to preserve the discovery site.
This he said was in order to prevent it from being damaged by unscrupulous parties.
“We will have a discussion with the Forestry Department as well as the Wildlife and National Parks Department on how to protect this area,” he said.
As early as the 1970s, Gunung Gagau, at the Kenyir Lake national park, was identified to have fossilised remains in its hills.
Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman said the discovery was “a proud moment for the people of Terengganu.”
“This will also provide added value for gazetting the Kenyir lake area into a geopark,” he said.
Fossil find in the nick of time
JOSEPH KAOS JR The Star 17 Nov 14;
KUALA TERENGGANU: Any paleontologist would say that discovering dinosaur fossils is one of the best moments in his career.
For Prof Dr Mohd Shafea Leman, arriving at that point was a long, tortuous affair.
The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) paleontologist said that the discovery of the dinosaur fossil at Mount Gagau, Hulu Terengganu was a result of many years of perseverance and personal belief.
“My first expedition to Mount Gagau was in 1997, and after studying the rocks of that mountain, I knew it was very possible for dinosaur fossils to be found there.
“I came back in 2008 and I hoped to find dinosaur fossils, but failed again.
“This is my third expedition and finally, I found dinosaur fossils, proving all along that what I said in 1997 was true,” said Mohd Shafea, describing the moment as a mix of euphoria and relief.
“It was an exciting and proud moment but at the same time, I was relieved as I only have a few years left before retiring.
“I guess you could say I was third time lucky!” he chuckled.
Mohd Shafea said the discovery showed that dinosaurs once roamed Malaysia, and he is optimistic that more remains will be found in the country.
“Hopefully, this would also stir more interest in palaeontology amongst Malaysians.”
Fossil find in the nick of time
JOSEPH KAOS JR The Star 17 Nov 14;
KUALA TERENGGANU: Any paleontologist would say that discovering dinosaur fossils is one of the best moments in his career.
For Prof Dr Mohd Shafea Leman, arriving at that point was a long, tortuous affair.
The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) paleontologist said that the discovery of the dinosaur fossil at Mount Gagau, Hulu Terengganu was a result of many years of perseverance and personal belief.
“My first expedition to Mount Gagau was in 1997, and after studying the rocks of that mountain, I knew it was very possible for dinosaur fossils to be found there.
“I came back in 2008 and I hoped to find dinosaur fossils, but failed again.
“This is my third expedition and finally, I found dinosaur fossils, proving all along that what I said in 1997 was true,” said Mohd Shafea, describing the moment as a mix of euphoria and relief.
“It was an exciting and proud moment but at the same time, I was relieved as I only have a few years left before retiring.
“I guess you could say I was third time lucky!” he chuckled.
Mohd Shafea said the discovery showed that dinosaurs once roamed Malaysia, and he is optimistic that more remains will be found in the country.
“Hopefully, this would also stir more interest in palaeontology amongst Malaysians.”
Fossils of dinosaurs found in Tasik Kenyir area
ROSLI ZAKARIA New Straits Times 17 Nov 14;
KUALA TERENGGANU: THE fossilised remains of a carnivorous and two herbivorous dinosaurs, said to have roamed the country some 250 million years ago, have been found at Sungai Cicir within the Tasik Kenyir national park.
The surprise discovery during an expedition last month, which was led by geologists from the Department of Minerals and Geoscience, has opened the possibility of turning part of Tasik Kenyir and a sizeable area near the lake, where the fossils were discovered, into a geopark recognised by the Unesco Global Geoparks Networks.
The team of geologists, led by Professor Dr Mohd Shafee Leman of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, made the breakthrough when they found a fossilised tooth of an Iguanodon, which was embedded in a boulder at Sungai Cicir.
The Iguanodons were large, partly bipedal herbivorous dinosaurs of the early to mid-Cretaceous period. The species had thumbs that developed into spikes and had broad stiff tails.
Other than the fossilised tooth, the team also discovered fossilised footprints belonging to a few species of dinosaurs — believed to be that of the Iguanodon, Theropod and Sauropod.
Also unearthed near the Sungai Cicir site were the bones of a
Sauropod and fossilised plants,
including petrified wood.
The Theropods were carnivorous dinosaurs and were typically bipedal, while the Sauropods were huge quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaurs with long necks and tails, small heads, and massive limbs.
“We are trying to identify the exact species of the dinosaurs and to conduct more geological research in the area.
“We are confident of discovering more fossils,” Shafee said after Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman made the announcement about the discovery at Wisma Darul Iman here yesterday.
Academically, he said the discovery had opened a new dimension in the geological research fraternity in the country, as well as expanding the scope of geotourism and ecotourism in the state.
More importantly, he said the fossils, which had remained
untouched for millions of years, needed to be protected from poachers.
Meanwhile, Razif said the discovery would add value towards the realisation of a geopark in Tasik Kenyir.
“The fossilised dinosaurs and plants, along with limestone caves like Gua Bewah and Gua Taat can be made into an attractive tourist package and help boost the tourism industry in Terengganu,” he said.
