Dino footprint
Image: Lesley Kool
Source: Lesley Kool
In the 13 years Dinosaur Dreaming has been operating, the collaborative fossil dig at Inverloch between Monash University and Museum Victoria has unearthed some fascinating and globally significant fossil material.
The dig site is significant because the sedimentary rock contains fossils of an assemblage of animals from around 120 million years ago, including marine reptiles, fish, amphibians, mammals and dinosaurs.
As the location was geographically quite close to the South Pole at the time these fossils were deposited, the dinosaur fauna have been dubbed ‘Dinosaurs of Darkness’. This is because such polar latitudes would have experienced longer periods of darkness during the winter.
One of the most exciting new discoveries of the 2007 Dinosaur Dreaming dig was made by first-time crew member Monash University student Tyler Lamb. Tyler found what was thought to be a large dinosaur footprint on the shore platform, less than 20 metres from the main dig site.
Now confirmed beyond doubt to be a dinosaur footprint by US fossil expert Anthony Martin from Emory University in Georgia, the print shows at least two or three partial toes about 35 centimetres long. These suggest the creature was a theropod dinosaur up to 1.5 metres tall at the hip, which may have resembled an Allosaurus.
Digging at the site recommences in late January 2008. Stay tuned for more exciting discoveries!