Dinosaur Dreaming 2007 update

The 14th annual Dinosaur Dreaming dig at Inverloch, Victoria was a great success on so many levels. Not only did we find the first mammal upper molar from the site, but we also found what we believe are the first associated bones.

Ironically the upper molar was found by Nicola Sanderson (nee Barton) who found the first mammal jaw at the Flat Rocks site exactly ten years to the day. It wasn’t until some time later that Dave Pickering, Collections Manager at Melbourne Museum, prepared the tooth and realised that it had three roots instead of the usual two. Dr. Tom Rich, palaeomammalogist at the Melbourne Museum and Dinosaur Dreaming head researcher, was able to verify that the mammal tooth was from an upper jaw. This is a very exciting find as all the mammal jaws found in the last ten years have been lower jaws and we were beginning to wonder if we would ever find any upper jaws. It is now up to Tom Rich to determine which of the three groups of mammals represented at the site this tooth belongs.

A number of isolated dinosaur teeth were recovered during the dig, including some very well preserved theropod dinosaur teeth and small hypsilophodontid dinosaur teeth.

Danielle Mitchell holding her first theropod dinosaur tooth

Small hypsilophodontid tooth in situ

Two bones found very close together during the dig have turned out to be ankylosaur dermal scutes; part of the body armour embedded in the skin of these four-legged herbivorous dinosaurs. Although the scutes are different shapes, they have a number of similarities, which lead us to believe they originated from the same animal. If so, they represent the first associated bones from the Flat Rocks site and further research will hopefully determine what part of the body they came from.

Image showing cross-section through one of the ankylosaur scutes before preparation

Ankylosaur dermal scutes after preparation

A very porous, open-celled cross-section turned out to be a centrum (the cotton-reel part of a vertebra) from a medium sized theropod dinosaur. Vertebrae from theropod dinosaurs have been found at the site in previous years, but not as large as this one. The dinosaur would have been approximately five metres in length.

Image of strange open-celled cross-section before preparation

Theropod dinosaur centrum after preparation

The weather for our annual “Friends of Dinosaur Dreaming” day was perfect and many friends made the effort to visit the site. They saw some of the new fossils that had been found since the dig had started and watched the crew removing rock from the fossil layer. The dig is an “equal opportunity” site and all the crew are given the chance to swing the sledgehammer if they wish.

Friends Day 2007

Melbourne Museum employee Caroline Longmore swings the sledge hammer

One of the most exciting discoveries of the dig was made by first-time crew member Monash University student Tyler Lamb.

Possible dinosaur footprint found close to the dig site

In total, more than 800 fossils were catalogued during the six week dig and so far only a few have been prepared. More exciting results are expected as more fossil bones are prepared.

The Dinosaur Dreaming crew are holding an Auction at the Royal Society of Victoria on Saturday 24 November to raise funds for Dinosaur Dreaming 2008. The auction of various dinosaur memorabilia collected over the years will take place. Also included will be some original artwork by internationally renowned artists Peter Trusler and Andrew Plant.