AssetID: 54611611
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Dinosaur Tracks Found In Queensland School After Boulder Sat Untouched For 20 Years
Caption: A school in Queensland has uncovered a prehistoric treasure hiding in plain sight for 20 years. Scientists found 66 dinosaur footprints on a boulder inside Biloela State High School. The massive slab, tucked away since 2002, holds one of Australia's highest concentrations of dino tracks. The fossilised prints, dating back 200 million years, were left by 47 dinosaurs in the Early Jurassic period. The three-toed tracks belong to Anomoepus scambus, a small plant-eating dinosaur. Dr Anthony Romilio called them the best preserved and most numerous footprints ever found in Queensland. The tracks formed in muddy riverbeds, later preserved as the sediment hardened over time. Originally discovered in 2002 at Callide Mine, the boulder was donated to the school and left unexamined. After locals tipped off Dr Romilio, the rock's true value was revealed – now it's heading for public display. “This is huge – not just for Biloela but all of Australia,” said the local mayor. “Our region is full of surprises.
Keywords: Science & Technology,Queensland,Biloela State High School,dinosaur footprints,fossil discovery,prehistoric treasure,Early Jurassic period,Anomoepus scambus,Dr Anthony Romilio,University of Queensland Dinosaur Lab,Callide Mine,geologist Wes Nichols,Banana Shire Council,Mount Morgan,Nev Ferrier,public display,palaeontology,fossil find,dinosaur tracks,Australian fossils,Historical Biology journal,dinosaurs,fossils,prehistoric,discovery,science,education,natural history,geology,ancient animals,museum display,scientific research,rock formations,school discovery,natural heritage
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