New dinosaur bones discovered in Outback Queensland

This week, led by Museum Director and paleontologist Robyn Mackenzie, the Eromanga Natural History Museum has discovered new dinosaur bones in Outback Queensland on its annual dinosaur dig. 

The Museum is already home to Australia’s largest dinosaur, and the location of one of Australia’s richest dinosaur fields – producing gigantic dinosaur bones that are between 93 and 96 million years old.

To date, the dig has uncovered multiple remains including large parts of a tail bone, vertebrae, and large flat bones which could be scapular or pelvic elements, thought to be from sauropods (large plant-eating dinosaurs). The exact details on the finds will be determined when the dig is completed and lab work undertaken, but the bones are anticipated to be over 90 million years old.  

This new dig site was initially found by Robyn Mackenzie’s daughter Cindy, daughter-in-law Heidi and son Sandy who were checking sheep in the paddock.  Sandy saw early indications of what he thought were dinosaur bones, making the location (on private farm land in a remote part of Outback Queensland, about an hour from the Museum) the new site for the Museum's annual dinosaur dig.

The dig is conducted by an expert team from the Eromanga Natural History Museum along with members of the public who have paid to be part of the unique experience.

“After travelling overseas and visiting international dinosaur museums, I realised the size of the dinosaur bones and quality of the dinosaur and megafauna fossils in the ENHM collection were world-class,” said Robyn Mackenzie, field palaeontologist and Director of the Eromanga Natural History Museum.

The not-for-profit museum received funding to recently open a new $6.6 million visitor reception area and cafe.

“We can’t wait to welcome families to the Museum in the July school holidays.  The weather is perfect – mild warm days, and cooler nights. It’s ideal for camping, and Eromanga has an abundance of free camping as well as a great campground in town. And we have our new Cooper’s Country Lodge accommodation on-site at the Museum,” said Robyn Mackenzie.

“You don’t need a full-on off-road 4WD set-up to visit us. The road out to Eromanga is bitumen from all directions – so while we’re heartland outback Central Australia, we’re very, very easy to reach in any type of vehicle.  We are one of the biggest and most accessible dinosaur museums in all of Australia."

The dig continues until June 1, with early signs indicating more dinosaur remains will be uncovered as the dig progresses.

Looking for more ways to see dinosaurs in Queensland? Head over here.

Feature image: Robyn Mackenzie | via Dan Llewellyn/Eromanga Natural History Museum