First Malaysian dinosaur fossil found

A Malaysian university unveiled on Wednesday what researchers called the first dinosaur fossil ever found in the country—the tooth of a fish-eating predator estimated to be at least 75 million years old.

The fish-eating dinosaur's fossil tooth found in Malaysia's central 
state of Pahang [Credit: AFP, University of Malaya]

A team of Malaysian and Japanese palaeontologists found the darkened tooth fossil after a nearly two-year dig in the central state of Pahang, and scientists said further discoveries could come.

"Recently, we have successfully confirmed the presence of dinosaur remains in Pahang," lead researcher Masatoshi Sone said in a statement.

The statement was issued as the University of Malaya unveiled the tooth. Researchers from Japan's Waseda University and Kumamoto University also took part in the project.

The researchers believe the 23-mm-long (one-inch) tooth belongs to a carnivorous fish-eating dinosaur called a spinosaurid.

It was found in sedimentary rock of the late Mesozoic era dating to between 145-75 million years ago, the research team said.

"It is expected that large deposits of dinosaur fossils still remain in Malaysia," the statement said.

"We currently continue further research and hope to conduct more extensive field investigations that may disclose more significant finds."

The location of the discovery is being kept secret in order to preserve it.

Source: AFP [February 19, 2014]