Australotiton coperensis: a previously unknown dinosaur found in Australia

Scott Hocknull from the Queensland Museum is an enthusiast – and “Cooper” is the reason. “The exciting thing for us is that we are now able to throw our hat in the ring when it comes to determining the largest dinosaur in the world”, said Paleontologists for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. You’re not dealing with the world’s biggest dinosaur, but you’re dealing with a member of the top ten.

It is the remains of a giant skeleton that the researcher thinks about. With a length of up to 30 meters and a height of six meters from floor to waist, the previously unknown dinosaur is considered a true colossus of the Cretaceous period.

The bones of herbivores that lived about 95 million years ago were discovered 15 years ago in south-west Queensland. Now it got an official name: Australoton coperensis – or for short: Cooper. The name goes back to the site near the village of Cooper Creek. Scientists report on research on skeletons In the Journal » PeerJ«.

To illustrate the giant’s incredible dimensions, the Australian media resorted to impressive comparisons: Australotin coperensis was “as tall as a basketball court and two stories tall,” it said. When sauropods populated the earth, today’s Australia Still for the great continent of Gondwana.

“There’s a Giant Predatory Dinosaur” – Haven’t Found It Yet

Paleontologist Robin McKenzie and her husband Stuart were reported to have come across dinosaur bones while rounding cattle on their land in 2006. “We never would have thought we would be dealing with the largest animal in Australia and one of the largest in the world,” Cited Broadcaster ABC The Mackenzies.

It took many years for experts to excavate, collect and determine all the bones. Among other things, state-of-the-art 3D models have been created using the latest technology, Hocknull explained.

Now experts at Down Under are expecting an even bigger sensation: In other parts of the world, where giant herbivorous dinosaurs have been found, theropods have also been discovered – giant carnivores on two legs. “There’s a huge predatory dinosaur out there somewhere,” Hocknul is convinced. “We haven’t found him yet.”