Lexi Webster
Dinosaurs once roamed Australia, and many fossils have been found across the country. The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, in collaboration with Curtin University researchers, unveiled the country's first sauropod skull, dating back 98–95 million years. The skull, belonging to a dinosaur called Ann, was discovered during the Museum's 2018 annual dinosaur dig near Winton, Queensland. Other discoveries include the Austrosaurus, a large titanosaur discovered in Queensland in 1932, and the Atlascopcosaurus, a small, two-legged ornithopod found on the coast of Victoria in 1984.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of dinosaur species found in Australia | 6 |
| Names of dinosaur species found in Australia | Atlascopcosaurus, Austrosaurus, Leaellynasaura, Minmi, Muttaburrasaurus, Rhoetosaurus |
| Location of fossils | Queensland, New South Wales, Lightning Ridge, Winton, Roma, Victoria, Flinders Discovery Centre, Hughenden |
| Age of fossils | 177 million years old (Rhoetosaurus) to 65 million years old |
| Type of fossils | Bones, footprints, skull |
| Museums with Australian dinosaur exhibits | The Australian Museum, Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, National Museum of Australia |
| Unique features of Australian dinosaurs | Feathers, ability to walk on all four legs or upright on hind legs, unique skull features |
| Australian dinosaurs that were herbivores | Austrosaurus, Atlascopcosaurus |
| Australian dinosaurs that were carnivores | Australovenator, Tarbosaurus bataar |
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What You'll Learn
The Australian dinosaur record is improving
One of the first dinosaur fossils discovered in Australia was the vertebrae of a sauropod from the Early Cretaceous, dating back approximately 105-103 million years. The Austrosaurus, a large herbivorous titanosaur discovered in Queensland in 1932, is another example of early dinosaur findings in the country. It stood about 3.5 meters tall at the shoulders and measured 15 meters in length.
However, the Australian dinosaur record has recently taken a significant leap forward. The discovery of new dinosaur species, such as the ornithopods Weewarrasaurus and Fostoria in New South Wales, showcases the progress made. These fossils, preserved in opal deposits, provide valuable insights into Australia's unique dinosaur species.
In addition to new species discoveries, revisions are also underway for previously identified Australian dinosaurs. Deposits at Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, yield some of the world's rarest and most beautiful fossils, preserved in opal. These fossils, including those of the Muttaburrasaurus, provide valuable information about dinosaur species and their evolution.
Furthermore, the study of sauropod dinosaurs in Australia has made significant advancements. A groundbreaking study led by Samantha Beeston and the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History unveiled 12 new sauropod specimens from the Winton Formation in central Queensland. This research, utilizing advanced 3D-scanning technology, is vital for the advancement of Australian paleontology.
The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, in collaboration with Curtin University researchers, also discovered Australia's first sauropod skull, nicknamed "Ann," dating back 98-95 million years. This discovery sheds light on the Diamantinasaurus matildae, a member of the sauropod group, and provides insights into the migration patterns and evolution of titanosaurs.
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Fossils preserved in opal
Opalised fossils are rare and precious, and Australia is the only country where opalised animal fossils are found. Opalised fossils are even rarer to find than regular fossils, and only collectors or museums have these specimens.
Opal is formed in cavities within rocks. If the cavity is there because a living thing, such as a bone, shell or pinecone, was buried in the sand or clay before it turned to stone, then opal can form a fossil replica of the object that was buried. The fossils are literally gems: teeth, bones, shells and pinecones that have turned to solid opal. Some of them are see-through, including the only transparent fossils of large animal bones in the world.
Lightning Ridge is the only significant dinosaur site in New South Wales, and it is famous for yielding fossils made of brightly coloured opal. The fossils are of plants and animals that lived close to the South Pole in global greenhouse conditions, in habitats unknown anywhere in the present day. The fossils are a window into Australia's past and are important for scientists studying the evolution of Australian plants, dinosaurs, and mammals, as well as climate change, geology, and other aspects of Earth's history.
In 1984, a miner working in an Australian opal field near Lightning Ridge discovered the most complete dinosaur skeleton ever found in New South Wales. The bones, which were encrusted with sparkling opal, were taken back to the Australian Museum for public display. The skeleton was identified as belonging to a new species of plant-eating dinosaur, Fostoria dhimbangunmal, named after the man who discovered the fossils, Bob Foster. The fossils constituted the first herd or family group discovered in Australia, as well as the largest known collection of dinosaur fossils preserved in opal.
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Trackways filling in the gaps
Trackways, or preserved footprints, can help fill in the gaps in the fossil record when body fossils are scarce. In Queensland, Australia, theropod footprints from the Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic provide evidence that early theropods were present in Australia shortly after dinosaurs first appeared in the late Middle Triassic. These footprints also include the ichnospecies Skartopus and Tyrannosauropus from the Lark Quarry 'dinosaur stampede' site near Winton.
In the Walloon Coal Measures at Rosewood, near Ipswich and Oakey, north of Toowoomba, Queensland, coal miners discovered fossilised footprints up to 90 years ago. These footprints, which were made by dinosaurs as large as Tyrannosaurus rex, indicate the presence of large predatory dinosaurs in ancient Australia. The richly forested and swampy environment of southern Queensland in the Jurassic Period was home to several types of meat-eating dinosaurs, with the largest estimated to have been just under 3 metres tall.
The discovery of these footprints fills a gap in the slowly growing record of Australian dinosaurs. The footprints were formed when dinosaurs stepped onto mats of swamp plant material that was then covered with sand, resulting in sandstone-filled footprints in a bed of coal. Miners were able to remove the softer coal, revealing the ancient footprints. This discovery suggests that more hidden treasures may be buried and yet to be discovered.
In addition to the footprints, other dinosaur fossils have been discovered in Australia, including the Muttaburrasaurus, a large plant-eating ornithopod from the Early Cretaceous. The discovery of the Ozraptor, a partial theropod shinbone found in 1966, and the Rhoetosaurus, one of the oldest dinosaur specimens found in Australia, dating back to the mid-Jurassic, provide further evidence of the diverse range of dinosaurs that once inhabited the country.
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Sauropod vertebrae found
Sauropod vertebrae have been found in Australia, with the first discovery dating back to the 1930s. The first dinosaur fossils ever found in Australia included the vertebrae of a sauropod from the Early Cretaceous, which lived approximately 105-103 million years ago.
In 2012, the fossils of a juvenile Diamantinasaurus matildae, nicknamed "Ollie", were discovered near Winton in western Queensland. These fossils included several thoracic vertebrae and ribs, along with limb bones. Ollie is considered the smallest sauropod ever discovered in Australia, measuring 11 meters in length and weighing about 4.2 tons.
Another significant find is the Australotitan cooperensis, a new giant sauropod species from the mid-Cretaceous of Australia. The identifiable remains of this sauropod include pieces of a large femur, a very large somphospondylous presacral vertebra, and fragments of appendicular limbs and rib shafts. The discovery of Australotitan cooperensis provides valuable insights into the distribution of Cretaceous dinosaurs in Australia.
The discovery of Savannasaurus elliottorum, a nearly complete sauropod skeleton from the early Late Cretaceous of Queensland, also sheds light on sauropod dispersal to Australia. The Diamantinasaurus matildae specimen found in the same region includes the first partial sauropod skull identified in Australia. These discoveries have important implications for understanding the palaeobiogeography of Cretaceous Gondwanan sauropod dinosaurs.
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Ozraptor initially mistaken for a turtle
Dinosaur fossils have been found in Australia, and one of the most fascinating discoveries is that of the Ozraptor. This dinosaur was first brought to light in 1966 by students from Scotch College, who found a fossil at the Bringo Railway Cutting site near Geraldton. They showed their discovery to Professor Rex Prider of the University of Western Australia.
Professor Prider initially believed the fossil to be that of a turtle. However, it was later identified as a dinosaur bone. In the 1990s, Australian paleontologist John Long, along with Ralph Molnar, re-evaluated the bone and classified it as the shinbone of a theropod. Specifically, they determined it to be a partial theropod shinbone. This reclassification brought a new understanding of the Ozraptor, which had been hidden for decades.
The Ozraptor, or Ozraptor subotaii, gets its name from the Greek "Australian thief". The generic name is derived from "Ozzies", a nickname for Australians, and the Latin "raptor", meaning "seizer". The specific name, "subotaii", is inspired by a fictional character from the movie "Conan the Barbarian". This character, Subotai, is known for being a swift-running thief and archer.
While the Ozraptor is significant, it is also quite a mystery. It is known only from a single partial leg bone, specifically a partial tibia, which makes classification challenging. The fossil was discovered in the Colalura Sandstone, dating back to the Middle Jurassic or about 169 million years ago. This discovery places the Ozraptor among the oldest known Australian dinosaurs, highlighting the long history of these creatures in the region.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, many dinosaur fossils have been found in Australia. Some of the dinosaurs found in Australia include Austrosaurus, Muttaburrasaurus, and Ozraptor.
Theropods, sauropods, and ornithopods have been found in Australia. There were also pterosaurs and giant marine reptiles in prehistoric Australia.
Dinosaur fossils have been found in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.
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