New dinosaur species in australia found

THEY were found entwined in an ancient Australian billabong - predator and prey preserved forever.

"Banjo" was a vicious hunter, a 5m-long killer of the times that chased down its victims over a flat, rolling landscape filled with ferns and conifers about 98 million years ago.

When Banjo - scientific name australovenator wintonensis - caught the smaller plant-eating dinosaurs it hunted, the claws came out - brutal daggers attached to its "hands" that could flail a belly like a can opener. With 36 razor teeth on its bottom jaw, it cut through tough skin, muscle and tendons.

But Banjo would never pass up an easy feed. Scott Hocknull, the dinosaur hunter who yesterday unveiled Australia's most important fossil finds, believes that is why the carnivore's bones were discovered mixed up with those of "Matilda", a massive plant-eating dinosaur.

A third dinosaur, nicknamed "Clancy", was found about 4km away at Winton, a rich fossil hunting area in central Queensland.

Mr Hocknull said Banjo was Australia's version of the velociraptor, made famous in Jurassic Park.

"Ours is bigger and meaner. In reality velociraptor was turkey-sized," Queensland Museum senior curator of geosciences Mr Hocknull said yesterday.

"Matilda probably got stuck in the mud and Banjo has come along, seen a free meal and got stuck too.

"Matilda was a plant eater 15m or 16m long which weighed about 20 tonnes. We think australovenator normally hunted solo and would run down dinosaurs smaller than it was but they could have also formed packs to take on really big prey.

"There's fossil footprints in the same area showing a dinosaur stampede with a carnivore following."

Clancy was a different giant vegetarian, also about 16m long but taller and more slender than Matilda.

"Clancy was like a giraffe of the times and Matilda a hippo. They filled different niches, able to reach different plants," Mr Hocknull, 31, said.

All three are new to science, the most complete large dinosaur bones found in Australia and the first major find in more than 25 years.

They are also justification for Mr Hocknull's almost life-long obsession with Australian dinosaurs.

"When I became fascinated as a teenager I was told you had to go overseas to discover major dinosaurs and make a name because no one found much here," he said.

The dinosaurs have been nicknamed after characters created by poet Banjo Paterson.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• dinosaur
• banjo
• paterson
• clancy
• matilda
• australia
• remains
• fossils

[yogos87]

0:31 he say's shit lol.

[jupjupz]

He said "Shed" lol

dunno where you got shit from...

[theonlyred4]

"I was a big fan of dinosaurs when I was little." Kid, you still ARE little!

[007ibz]

I live in Australia

[2degucitas]

@mustaffa1611 Wow. My mother-in-law who is long dead used to say this back in the 60's. You really need an info update!!!!

[TheArtdecovampire]

@mustaffa1611 Stand up comedy is not the job for you is it. Anyway better luck elsewhere.

[mustaffa1611]

@TheArtdecovampire We agree. Yes you are wrong.

[TheArtdecovampire]

Wrong

[cenaAVPWWE34]

the theropod seems to b an anceister of allosaurus

[mustaffa1611]

This is hysterical. The fact is - No Dinosaur skull has ever been found. Those plastic and sculptors clay things at the museum that u call a skull are not real bone. Plastic equals fake. Guess what ... those global elitist fatcats are lying to you. One random bone found here or there does not make a dinosaur.

[lovesack]

l think as the climate changed in this country and started to dry up these creatures started to die out from lack of food and it may of been even a couple of hundred years ago as they have been found on the surface of the ground.it does not take that long for them to become fossils,as there is proof that a fossil can get to that even withing 50 years not millions.

if the aborigines claim to have seen these animals too.

[dosh228]

@ThR33DiDgEtZ has J Kaliis retired already

[dosh228]

I know where clear foot prints are 2ft long by 3/4wide looks almost like a lizards foot print but 6ft feet apart all imbeeded into rock a whole trail, which could lead 2 possible bones in the area..