Siamodon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siamodon |
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| Tooth of Siamodon nimngami | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | †Ornithischia |
| Suborder: | †Ornithopoda |
| Clade: | †Iguanodontia |
| Genus: | †Siamodon Buffetaut & Suteethorn, 2011 |
| Type species | |
| †Siamodon nimngami Buffetaut & Suteethorn, 2011
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Siamodon is a type of dinosaur that lived long ago. Scientists found its remains in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. This dinosaur was part of a group called iguanodontians.
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Meet Siamodon: A Thai Dinosaur
Siamodon is a fascinating dinosaur. Its name means "Siam tooth." Siam is an old name for Thailand. This dinosaur helps us learn about ancient life in Asia.
What Was Siamodon?
Siamodon was an iguanodontian dinosaur. Iguanodontians were plant-eating dinosaurs. They walked on two legs, but could also walk on all fours. They often had a special thumb spike. Famous iguanodontians include Iguanodon itself. Siamodon was likely a medium-sized dinosaur.
Where and When Did It Live?
Siamodon lived during the Early Cretaceous period. This was about 125 to 113 million years ago. During this time, Earth looked very different. Dinosaurs ruled the land. The area where Siamodon lived in Thailand was likely a lush environment. It had rivers and forests.
Scientists found Siamodon in the Nakhon Ratchasima Province of Thailand. This area is rich in dinosaur fossils. Many new species are still being discovered there.
How Do We Know About Siamodon?
Scientists named Siamodon in 2011. Two paleontologists, Éric Buffetaut and Varavudh Suteethorn, described it. They found a single tooth. This tooth was enough to identify it as a new type of dinosaur.
Even a single tooth can tell scientists a lot. The shape and size of the tooth show what the dinosaur ate. Siamodon's tooth suggests it was a plant-eater. It also helps place Siamodon in the iguanodontian group. This is because its tooth shape is similar to other dinosaurs in that family.
Finding just one tooth is common in paleontology. Sometimes, a whole skeleton is never found. But even small pieces help us piece together Earth's ancient history.
