Credit: Tom Rich, Source: Museum Victoria

In August 2008 Dr Tom Rich headed an expedition to find and excavate an Ichthyosaur fossil in outback Queensland for display in a new exhibition.  The fossil they were looking for was of Platypterygius, a large ichthyosaur (marine reptile) which lived at the time of dinosaurs between 110 and 100 million years ago. It grew to 6 or 7 metres long in the inland sea, now western Queensland.

He was guided to a likely spot to find fossils by Dave Suter together with Tom and Sharon Hurley who had the local knowledge. They used a digger to excavate rocks which looked promising. There was no guarantee that they would find anything as there is always an element of luck in finding fossils. However, Tom has forty-seven years as a palaeontologist and extensive experience at dig sites. This combined with six experienced eyes who knew the local fossils, led to finding a fossil on the third hole they excavated. They found a skull and rostrum of the animal including wonderfully preserved teeth. The fossil was encased in plaster for a safe return journey to the museum in Melbourne. How complete the skull is, and what other bones they find, will not be known until work is done to remove the rock that surrounds the fossil.

Credit: Kate Phillips, Source: Museum Victoria