Austrosaurus
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Extinct (fossil)
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| Austrosaurus mckillopi |
Austrosaurus (meaning "Southern lizard") was a sauropod dinosaur from the Winton Formation, from the early Cretaceous (98-95 Million Years ago) of Central-Western Queensland in Australia.
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[edit] Discovery and species
The remains were discovered by Mr H.B. Wade on Clutha Station near Maxwelton in north Queensland in 1932, who alerted the station manager H. Mackillop, who showed his brother who sent them to the Queensland Museum. Austrosaurus was described by Heber Longman in 1933.
Austrosaurus Species
- A. mackillopi
- A. Elliot (likely)
In 1999 on a property near Winton in central-western Queensland, Australia, grazier Dave Elliott found a sauropod femur of what has turned out to be Australia's largest dinosaur thus far discovered. Thus far a right femur and portions of several ribs have been uncovered. A smaller sauropod, nicknamed 'Mary', after Dr Mary Wade, has also been uncovered. Early indications are that they are closely related to Austrosaurus mackillopi and either in the same or closely related genus.
[edit] Paleobiology
Originally it was thought that the Austrosaurus had a tendency to spend time near or in water to relieve weight from their legs. However, this theory is now rejected and it is thought that the Austrosaurus preferred hard, dry land. Fossil finds suggest a height of approximately 3.9 metres at the hip and 4.1 metres at the shoulder, which would have given it an almost level back.
[edit] Classification
Initially, Austrosaurus was considered a cetiosaurid, like Camarasaurus or Shunosaurus. However, a recent reappraisal of material by Ralph Molnar has found that it, and the newer remains of 'Eliot', are titanosaurid, as various features on the vertebrae show.
[edit] References
- Long JA (1998). Dinosaurs of Australia and New Zealand and other animals of the Mesozoic Era. UNSW Press. ISBN 0-86840-448-9.
- Molnar RE and Salisbury SW (2005). "Observations on Cretaceous Sauropods from Australia", in Carpenter, Kenneth and Tidswell, Virginia (ed.): Thunder Lizards: The Sauropodomorph Dinosaurs. Indiana University Press, 454–465. ISBN 0-253-34542-1.
- Coombs WP and Molnar RE, (1981) Sauropoda (Reptilia, Saurischia) from the Cretaceous of Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 20(2):351-373
- Longman HA. 1933 A new dinosaur from the Queensland Cretaceous. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 13:133-144
