Siamosaurus is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur from what is now Thailand
in the Early Cretaceous period. The first reported spinosaurid from
Asia, it is confidently known only from tooth fossils (example
pictured). The type species, Siamosaurus suteethorni (named for Thai
palaeontologist Varavudh Suteethorn), was formally described in 1986. In
2009, four teeth from China previously attributed to a pliosaur were
provisionally identified as possibly those of Siamosaurus. Siamosaurus's
body length is uncertain, but has been estimated at 5.1 to 9.1 metres
(17 to 30 feet). The teeth, typically 62.5 millimetres (2.46 inches)
long, were conical and had longitudinal grooves and wrinkled enamel. It
would have had a long, low snout and robust forelimbs, and possibly a
sail down its back. Its teeth are similar to those of other
spinosaurids, and it may not be a dinosaur at all. Its teeth were
suitable for impaling rather than tearing, and it may have eaten fish,
pterosaurs and small dinosaurs. It lived in a semi-arid habitat of
floodplains and rivers.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamosaurus>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
Common Sense, a pamphlet by Thomas Paine denouncing British
rule in the Thirteen Colonies, was published.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense>
1901:
The first great gusher of the Texas oil boom was discovered in
the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindletop>
1946:
The first session of the United Nations General Assembly
convened at the Methodist Central Hall in London with representatives
from 51 member states.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly>
1966:
India and Pakistan signed the Tashkent Declaration to end the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tashkent_Declaration>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
blooper:
1. (informal) A blunder, an error.
2. (baseball, slang) A fly ball that is weakly hit just over the
infielders.
3. (film, informal) A filmed or videotaped outtake that has recorded an
amusing accident and/or mistake.
4. (nautical) A gaff-rigged fore-and-aft sail set from and aft of the
aftmost mast of a square-rigged ship; a spanker.
5. (US, dated) A radio which interferes with other radios, causing them
to bloop (squeal loudly).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blooper>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Today’s violent assault on our Capitol, an effort to subjugate
American democracy by mob rule, was fomented by Mr. Trump. His use of
the Presidency to destroy trust in our election and to poison our
respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo political leaders
whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice. Our
Constitution and our Republic will overcome this stain and We the People
will come together again in our never-ending effort to form a more
perfect Union, while Mr. Trump will deservedly be left a man without a
country.
--Jim Mattis
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jim_Mattis>