9-Meter Tall Australian T-Rex Discovered In Australia
By Juliana Chan | Featured Research
May 21, 2012
Seven species of killer dinosaurs have been discovered in south-eastern Australia, including Australia’s own T. Rex, a nine-meter-long predator with powerful arms and razor-sharp claws.
AsianScientist (May 21, 2012) – At least seven different species of killer dinosaurs have been discovered in south-eastern Australia, including Australia’s own nine-meter tall version of the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex.
Research published in PLoS ONE describes the findings of researchers from the University of Cambridge, Monash University, and Museum Victoria who uncovered a higher than expected biodiversity of meat-eating, theropod (bird-like) dinosaur fossils from between 105 and 120 million years ago.
Honorary Research Fellow Dr. Tom Rich has lead the team collecting dinosaur fossils from the Otway and Stzelecki Ranges of south Victoria for 30 years with colleagues Lesley Kool, Dave Pickering, and Professor Pat Vickers-Rich.
“We had not expected to find fossils from such a large range of dinosaur species in this area. The fossils we have collected range from tiny, cat-sized killers to Australia’s version of T. rex, a nine-meter-long predator with powerful arms and razor-sharp claws,” Rich said.
“In total 1,500 isolated bones and teeth of various kinds of dinosaurs have been found in Victoria, Australia so far. Their meaning is only beginning to be unraveled by detailed study and comparisons with other fossils world-wide.”
At the time these dinosaurs ruled, southern Australia was part of the Antarctic Circle. Despite the cold, there was a high diversity of small predators, similar to the velociraptor that was featured in the movie Jurassic Park.
“One of the reasons for the success of small, theropod dinosaurs may be their warm-blood. As close relatives of birds, they had feathery insulation which helped maintain high body temperatures,” Rich said.
“The cool, damp climate may also explain the discovery of the same dinosaur species in both Australia and the northern continents.”
Source: Monash University.
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