Discovery of a new type of dinosaur in Australia

It all started in 2006 in the northeast of Australia. Robin and Stuart McKenzie raise sheep and oxen on their family farm in Queensland. One day, while riding a motorcycle through their vast outlying lands, they spotted large black stones. Unaware of this, they have now made a historic discovery for their country and biodiversity. In fact, an initial study confirms that it is Dinosaur fossils.

This is only in 2021, After long and meticulous research, these bones can be properly identified. The discovery of this new type of dinosaur in Australia was published in Birge magazine. Archaeologists from the Queensland Museum and the Iromanga Museum of Natural History present the characteristics of this model, explaining the identification process and claiming that Australian soil has not yet revealed all the secrets.

The largest dinosaur ever discovered in Australia

The first fragments of this skeleton were discovered in 2006. It Cooper baptized by researchers, referring to Cooper Creek, Cove near where his bones were found. Scientific publication carefully presents the results of the research: Cooper was the first to discover a new type of dinosaur,Astralotian Cooperative.

According to archaeologists, he lived in the Iromanga Basin about 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous. At the time, Australia was still connected to Antarctica and was part of the Kondwana Supercontinent. It measures 5 to 6.5 meters high and 25 to 30 meters long. It weighs between 23 and 75 tons. For example, this robot was a basketball court and taller than a giraffe.

Research by the team shows that this dinosaur is closely related to 3 other Australian robots. The latter – Diamondinosaurus modilde, Windnotian Watch And Savannasaras elliotorum – Cooper lived in the Cretaceous and was discovered over the past 30 years. On the other hand, This astrologer surpassed them all in its dimensions. It is the largest animal to set foot on Australian soil.

It took 15 years of hard work to identify this new type of dinosaur in Australia

In a statement, the Queensland Museum drew attention to the fact that the landmark was the result of a joint effort by archaeologists, geologists, fossil makers and volunteers. In fact, the first bones in Cooper’s skeleton were discovered in 2006. The discovery was initially kept secret, while researchers meticulously excavated the site. One year later, the fossils were not shown to the public until 2007. It took fifteen years of research to rebuild the dinosaur skeleton Learn more about Cooper. By comparing this with other robots it was possible to confirm that this dinosaur belonged to a new species.

Scott Hocknell, a geologist at the Queensland Museum, confirmed that his team had worked very long and hard to come to this conclusion. To systematically identify Cooper as the first prototype of a new species, researchers compared Cooper’s fossil bones to the “Titan of the South” already known and discovered in other parts of Australia and around the world. Gold, The bones of these robots are very large, heavy and, above all, very fragile. They are also housed in museums scattered around the world. It is technically impossible to move them side by side and observe their differences and similarities. It can also destroy highly fragile specimens.

Then the team of scientists turned to digital technology in search of an alternative solution. For the first time, sconning and modeling equipment were used, one by one, all of the bone fragments found in Iromanga. It was then easier to compare with other museums. This three-dimensional scan helped Scott Hoagnell achieve the feat of carrying a ton of dinosaur bones on a laptop weighing less than 10 kilograms. Digital capture of bone fragments provided valuable information such as whether Cooper’s bones were trampled by other robots.

Australia, New playground for archaeologists

Until the late 90s, the largest dinosaur discoveries took place in South America and mainly in Argentina. Australia was not considered an archeological center at the time. However, for 20 years, many discoveries confirm the existence of this part of the planet It also hosted a wide variety of dinosaurs at the end of the Mesozoic era. Scott Hagnul mentions that the bed of Iromanga was a vast sedimentary bed, which, at the time of the Cretaceous, was a large inland sea. This waterhole is essential for robots and may explain why recent discoveries have occurred in this part of Australia.

By the time the supercontinent Kondwana was divided, we knew a little more about the fauna that inhabited this area. If scientists have not yet provided Australia with as many dinosaurs as other countries, it is not because they are not in the soil. It is less because it is important Ancient excavations In this part of the world. According to experts, not all fossils have been found and Queensland could become Australia’s “paleo-capital”.

Researchers hope that such invasive species will be found soon. All over the world where these gigantic dinosaurs have been found, excavations have also uncovered the fossils of their predatory giant therapos.

Theropods are often carnivorous – the most popular of which are the Tyrannosaurus Rex. A few specimens have already been found in the Windon area, but these are too small to threaten the “Southern Titan”. According to Dr. Hognall, this means it may be the largest predator ever expelled.

This Astralotian joins a group of giant dinosaurs called the Titanosaurs

With its exceptional measurements, this dinosaur belongs to the Titanosaur group. According to the research team, their Australian Titan is one of the 5 heaviest titanos in the world, and 15 the longest.

The other largest specimens of this group were discovered in South America, and their classification is here:

• Pine with boat , Otherwise known as the “Patagonian Titan”, is currently considered the largest dinosaur ever discovered on Earth. The team of researchers who discovered it in 2017 estimated that it must have measured about 37 meters and weighed 70 tons, the dimensions of a Boeing 737. In Vadis, its height is 8 meters.
• Argentinosus hunculencis It is a titanosaur, and its discovery dates back to 1989. This “Argentine lizard” is a giant robot that measures about 35 meters and weighs about 80 tons.
• Butolacnosis – Giant Head Lizard – A long-necked herb that fossils were discovered in 2000 in Newken State. It weighed 30 tons and had to measure a maximum of 30 meters.
• Treadnotes, “Fearless” was discovered in 2005. Its length is 26 meters with a weight of about 30 tons.
• Noctococcus gonorrhoeae Described in 2016, it weighs 50 to 55 tons and weighs about 26 meters.

Fossils are usually found during excavations and many claim to have discovered the largest dinosaur. So, Boat Swimsuit Can be removed soon: early 2021, Argentine archaeologists find 24 vertebrae and some hip bones in a new model It could be even bigger.

Although Cooper is not the largest dinosaur ever to live on Earth, his proportions make him a tremendous model. Those who want to see for themselves the dimensions of this titanosaur can visit the Iromanga Natural History Museum. A life-size reconstruction of Australia and its fossils is on display in a specially fitted section by the Queensland Museum and a team of local archaeologists.

Source: SA Hagnul et al. 2021. A new giant robot, the Astralotian Cooperance Gen. And S.P. nov., from the middle of Australia. Pierre 9: E11317; doi: 10.7717 / peerj.11317