Unbelievable! Australia's Oldest Dinosaur Fossil Discovered in Brisbane's Backyard.
Imagine finding a dinosaur footprint, a glimpse into the ancient past, right in your city's quarry. That's exactly what happened over 60 years ago when Bruce Runnegar, a schoolboy at the time, stumbled upon a remarkable discovery at Petrie's Quarry in Brisbane. Little did he know then that this 18.5cm-long footprint, embedded in shale, would become Australia's oldest known dinosaur fossil, dating back to the Late Triassic period, a staggering 230 million years ago.
But here's where it gets controversial... Researchers believe this footprint belongs to an early sauropodomorph, a small, two-legged dinosaur with a long neck. Anthony Romilio from the University of Queensland's Dinosaur Lab suggests that the dinosaur was walking near a waterway when it left its mark, which was later preserved in sandstone. This sandstone was then used to construct buildings across Brisbane, an incredible journey for a dinosaur footprint!
And this is the part most people miss... The size of the footprint provides valuable insights. Romilio estimates the dinosaur was about 78cm tall at the hip and weighed around 144kg. Furthermore, the animal's maximum speed was calculated to be approximately 60 km/hour.
Unfortunately, urban development has made the original site inaccessible, leaving this single footprint as the sole evidence of dinosaurs in Brisbane. Romilio credits Runnegar's foresight in preserving the material, stating that without it, Brisbane's dinosaur history would remain a mystery.
So, what do you think? Is this an incredible discovery or just a lucky find? Share your thoughts in the comments and let's discuss the fascinating world of dinosaurs and their hidden traces in our modern cities!
