Recently it seems it’s all happening out in the outback! An intergalactic, three-dimensional map is currently being built in the Western Australian outback. And now? Australia’s first complete plesiosaur fossil was discovered in outback Queensland.
Scientists are calling it a rare discovery
The complete head and body of an ancient marine reptile has been uncovered in Queensland. It’s been described as having “flippers like a turtle and long neck like a giraffe.” This rare discovery was unearthed near the remote western Queensland town of McKinlay. A property owner sent images to researchers who then came out to see for themselves.
Impressively, it’s the very first time in Australia that the head and body of an elasmosaur has been found in one piece. Not only have they been difficult to come by in our country, but they’re also rare to even discover globally. Museum of Tropical Queensland senior curator of palaeontology Dr Espen Knutsen said, “Because the head is so far away from the body at the end of this little neck, that’s one of the first things that gets disarticulated from the rest of the skeleton.”
How old is this fossil?
Amazingly, the discovery is believed to be around 100 million years old. It will help to enhance researchers’ understanding of the evolution and diversity of the species. The biodynamics of these types of animals will become clearer including how they move and what environments they need to be in.
What was this marine reptile doing in the outback?
If you’ve ever visited the outback you may be scratching your head at the idea of a marine animal in the outback. After all, we know it as mostly dry, desert land. However, back in the Cretaceous period, which was around 145-66 million years ago, it was an inland sea. This explains the features of the fossil including a tail and flippers.
It’s pretty amazing that things like this can be unearthed, especially after so many years of us inhabiting the country. Australia’s history only gets more interesting as time goes on and we can’t wait to see what else is unearthed from the past. Nonetheless, it’s great to see the outback continuing to make the news!
