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Headline: RAW VIDEO: School Boulder Sitting Untouched For 20 Years Found To Be Covered In 200-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Footprints
Caption: A school in Queensland has stumbled upon a prehistoric treasure after scientists discovered more than 60 dinosaur footprints covering a boulder that had sat unnoticed for two decades in the school office. The massive slab, tucked away in the corner of Biloela State High School’s main office since 2002, is now making headlines after new research revealed it holds one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur tracks ever recorded in Australia. The incredible find – 66 fossilised footprints left by 47 individual dinosaurs – dates back a staggering 200 million years to the Early Jurassic period, according to a study led by Dr Anthony Romilio from the University of Queensland Dinosaur Lab. “These are the best preserved and most numerous dinosaur footprints ever found in Queensland,” said Dr Romilio, who described the boulder as a significant piece of Australia’s prehistoric puzzle. The three-toed tracks have been identified as Anomoepus scambus, belonging to a small, plant-eating dinosaur that walked on two legs. While no dinosaur bones from that period have been found in Australia, fossils uncovered overseas suggest similar creatures were long-legged with stubby arms and stout bodies. “We don’t have their bones but we know that they were around,” Dr Romilio explained. The footprints were likely formed over several days or weeks in muddy terrain covered by shallow water, as the animals crossed a river or wetland. “It would be a river-type system that is depositing sediment,” Dr Romilio added. What makes the discovery even more astonishing is how long it took to be recognised. The boulder was originally unearthed at Callide Mine in 2002 and donated to the school by geologist Wes Nichols, whose wife happened to teach there. It then sat in plain sight for 20 years – its secrets hidden in the open. Its scientific value only came to light after locals, aware of Dr Romilio’s work on dinosaur tracks at nearby Mount Morgan, contacted him about the school’s peculiar slab. Now, in the wake of this remarkable find, the boulder is being moved to the Banana Shire Council offices for public display, where it’s expected to draw national interest. Banana Shire mayor Nev Ferrier said: “This is huge – not just for Biloela but for the whole country. Who would have thought that a simple rock sitting in the school foyer for years would turn out to be one of Australia’s most important fossil finds? It just goes to show that our region is full of surprises.” Dr Romilio believes this could be just the beginning, with members of the public possibly holding the key to future fossil discoveries. “For the vast majority of fossils in Australia, most … are not found by palaeontologists – it’s other people raising their hand and asking: is this significant or not?” he said. “Maybe this will be another start to another adventure.” The research has been published in the journal Historical Biology.
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PersonInImage: Dr Anthony Romilio