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Cambrian crinoids (Sea lillies) from western Queensland. | ||
Palaeontology and Geology
Section
The Queensland Museum Palaeontology section is charged with collecting, describing and storing in perpetuity the rich fossil heritage of the State.
The many staff and volunteers are involved in a number of projects throughout the State which enrich our knowledge of the history of life of Queensland, and add to the tourism potential of many places.
The staff look after the seven million fossils in the State collections, undertake education, display and public activities, and go out and find new things. They make replicas of fossils for use in the Tourist market, and prepare fossils for display and research.
Current Projects
- Riversleigh Remnants: The fossil history of Australia’s rainforests and arid zone.
Ancient life and climate change in Queensland as recorded in cave deposits.
Fossil fruits and seeds from beneath basalts in Queensland. - Australia's Megafauna: Was the extinction of the megafauna caused by humans or climate? Changes to ecosystems in Australia and their effect on modern and extinct species.
- Fossil Frillies: Fossil agamids (dragons) and other lizards from Australia.
- Ancient Oil Shales from Queensland: Fossils from the Gladstone Oil Shale deposit.
- Australia’s oldest freshwater chelid turtles and skink.
- Ancient Bugs! Fossil insects from the Triassic of Queensland.
- Ye Olde Barrier Reefs: Fossil reef systems and their faunas from 380 to 360 Million years ago in north Queensland.
- The origins of the Australian mollusc faunas.
- Tracking Dinosaurs: Dinosaur trackways preservation, Winton.
- The Great Artesian Basin Project: Fossils from the Great Artesian Basin.
- Ancient China-Downunder: China-Australia links during the Devonian (380 Million years ago).
- Dave the Elasmosaur. and other ancient marine reptiles: Dave is the most complete elasmosaur in Australia.
- Stomach contents of plesiosaurs.
- The Richmond pliosaur.
- The world’s oldest fossil fern.
- Fossil starfish and crinoids from Australia.
- Review of world trilobites.
A brief history of dinosaur and related discoveries
1869 | First dinosaur-aged bones identified in Queensland, from a swimming reptile |
1872 | Additional ichthyosaur bones found on Cape York |
1899 | First bones of dinosaur come into the Queensland Museum collection; first bones of large marine reptiles come into the Museum. |
1924 | Rhoetosaurus, Australia’s large Jurassic age sauropod is sent to the Queensland Museum |
1926 | Kronosaurus queenslandicus, the largest marine reptile to have lived, described by Heber Longman. |
1927 | Heber Longman publishes the results of work on Rhoetosaurus |
1933 | Austrosaurus, a large Cretaceous age-sauropod is found near Maxwellton NWQ and described by Longman |
1950s | Dinosaur footprints discovered in coal mines near Ipswich, other footprints at Mt Morgan |
1959 | Large sauropod dinosaur bones found near Winton, CWQ, by Dr Alan Bartholomai |
1962 | Dinosaur remains found near Muttaburra, CWQ, later (1980) named Muttaburrasaurus |
1964 | Remains of a small armoured dinosaur discovered near Minmi Crossing, SCQ, later named Minmi. |
1960’s | Fossil footprints discovered south west of Winton by opal miners and local landholders |
1971 | Joint Qld Museum, British Museum field trip to site of worlds best Dinosaur trackways site |
1976-7 | Excavation of Lark Quarry dinosaur trackways site |
1980’s | Several expeditions recover sauropod remains in Winton, Hughenden and Richmond districts. Ichthyosaur and pliosaur remains recovered throughout the Great Artesian Basin |
1987 | Mary Wade discovers a second Muttaburrasaurus skull near Hughenden |
1989 | Australia’s most complete dinosaur skeleton recovered from Richmond-Hughenden district. |
1995 | Plesiosaur and Kronosaurus remains recovered from near Richmond. New dinosaur skeleton discovered near Julia Creek. Dinosaur remains found near Winton. |
1999 | Australia’s most complete elasmosaur (long necked marine reptile), Dave, discovered on Cape York |
2001 | Elliot - Australia's Largest Dinosaur! |