Queensland: The remains of a gigantic dinosaur have been discovered by Paleontologists in Australia and identified as new species.
The Australotitan cooperensis, part of the titanosaur family that lived about 100 million years ago, has been identified as one of the largest dinosaurs to ever wander the earth. The fossilized bones of Australotitan cooperensis were found in 2006 at a private farm, located about 1,000 km west of Brisbane.
According to a media report, after 15 years of study and analysis, the beast has finally been defined in detail. The researchers have also given it the nickname ‘Cooper’. As per the findings, the dinosaur stood at 5-6.5 meters high and measured 25-30 meters in length, making it Australia’s largest dinosaur.
Robyn Mackenzie, a director of the Eromanga Natural History Museum said, “Based on the preserved limb size comparisons, this new titanosaur is estimated to be in the top five largest in the world.” The skeleton of the dinosaur was first displayed to the public in 2007. But it was chiefly kept a secret before that as scientists studied the bones.
According to a scientist from Queensland Museum, the task to confirm the creature as new species was a ‘painstaking’ one. To compare the dinosaur with its close relatives, the team from the Eromanga Natural History Museum and the Queensland Museum had to rely on digital technology and 3D scan models of the bones.
It is interesting to see that, numerous other dino fossils have been found in the same area in the past. The discovery comes just a few days after paleontologists in southwest China unearthed a fossil from the Jurassic period that is 70 percent uninjured and belongs to a dinosaur believed to be nearly 8 meters in length. The fossil, which dates back 180-million-years, was found in late May in the city of Lufeng, which is in the province of Yunnan in Southern China.
Based on the groundbreaking discovery, staff with the Dinosaur Fossil Conservation and Research Center started carrying out emergency excavations to help prevent damage to the remaining bones. It was done quickly as the area is inclined to soil erosion, according to reports.
Head of the Dinosaur Fossil Conservation and Research Center of Lufeng City, Wang Tao, said, “Finding a nearly complete Lufengosaurus is very rare,” adding that the find is a ‘national treasure’.
Post Your Comments