Modern Australia is known for its range of wildlife: poisonous snakes and spiders, saltwater crocodiles, koalas, kangaroos, and more. The mainland was once the home of dinosaurs, including giants Australian and Winged Dragon Haliskia Petersensi.
Now paleontologists have discovered the remains of the world's oldest giant giant star, the Big Raptor, and the first evidence of Australian Pentaceae. Fossils on February 19 Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology and reveal the appearance of the unique predator hierarchy in Australia during the Cretaceous period.
g'day theropods
Large beetles and Carcharodontosaurus It is a dinosaur. Qualitative animals are predators and walk on two hind legs. Their size comes from small Coelorosaur To the giant Overlord. Several peel species also have feathers.
Illustration of giant raptor. “Honor: Jonathan Metzger's artwork. Source – Victoria.
Large Raptors belong to the large dinosaur family of the Cretaceous period (about 125 to 66 million years ago), known as Megaraptoridae. They are about 20 feet long and are mostly in the southern continent. Large beetles are known for their smaller scents, but have sharp bones, air-filled bones and powerful forelimbs with huge claws.
About 45 feet long, Carcharodontosaurus Once was One of the largest land predators in the history of our planet. It also lived during the Cretaceous period and was found mainly in North Africa.
A note Carcharodontosaur. Credits: Jonathan Metzger's artwork. Source – Victoria
The main predator
Paleontologists have discovered these five new theropod fossils on the coastline of southeastern Australia. They were excavated in the upper Strzelecki Group (about 12.14 to 118 million years) and the Eumeralla Group (about 113 to 108 million years of history). Fossils show that the ancient ecosystem of modern Victoria is dominated by these powerful theorems.
“Discover Carcharodontosaurs It is groundbreaking in Australia. “What is fascinating is how Victoria’s Predator Hierarchy differs from South America’s Carcharodontosaurs arrive Tyrannosaurus– Up to 13 meters in size [42.6 feet]towering above the large beetle. Here, the role is reversed, highlighting the uniqueness of the Cretaceous ecosystem in Australia. ”
Two of these fossils represent the world’s oldest large Raptors and expand our understanding of the evolutionary history of the group. Australia's orc animal fauna may have played a key role in the ancient mega-large Gondwana ecosystem.
“This discovery not only expands Australia's idyllic fruit fossil record, but also provides compelling evidence for animal exchange between Australia and South America through the Antarctic through the Antarctic during the early Cretaceous period.” . “These findings also challenge previous assumptions about the body size hierarchy of Gondwanan Predator ecosystems, highlighting Victoria’s unique Cretaceous fauna.”
Top row: two Megaraptoridae. Bottom line: Unnlagiinae Carcharodontosauria and Carcharodontosauria megaraptoridae. Image source: Photographer – Nadir Kinani. Source – Victoria.
Volunteer factor
Three of these fossils were discovered between 2022 and 2023 and were first identified by Museum Victoria volunteer Melissa Lowery. According to the team, the finding highlights how volunteers and community members who work with experienced researchers can help uncover the secrets of Australia’s Cretaceous past.
The team will also continue to investigate these key fossil sites, including the locations where large and large fossils were found.
