Following fossil footsteps
TOURING OUTBACK QUEENSLAND with my family to learn about Australia’s prehistoric past is an exciting prospect. The allure of vast, red, spinifex-studded landscapes, along with the appeal of seeing dinosaur foot-prints, fossicking for fossils, and visiting world-class museums, piques my curiosity.
But with my nine-year-old daughter, Tiah, in tow, a multiday history lesson seems ambitious. That is, until I mention we’ll be digging for dinosaurs. Instantly, Tiah’s eyes light up and without hesitation she’s in.
We’re embarking on a six-day, 900km drive along the Overlanders Way – officially the Flinders (A6) and Barkly (A2) highways – from Townsville, on Queensland’s north-east coast, west to Mount Isa. During our road trip, we’ll see some of the world’s best-preserved dinosaur fossils and visit parts of Australia’s premier dinosaur graveyard – the outback triangle that links the historic towns of Hughenden, Richmond and Winton.
Our journey begins at Townsville’s Museum of Tropical Queensland. Here, the Ancient Seas and Reefs exhibit details the state’s geological history, demonstrating changes that occurred during millions of years, when inland seas and ancient reefs covered the landscape and gigantic marine reptiles inhabited the Earth.
The Cretaceous Period, 145–66 million years ago (mya), was an extraordinary time for Queensland’s outback. Earlier geological activity caused a vacuum-like inversion that sank the continent’s centre, and the shallow Eromanga Sea formed across much of inland Australia. It covered the landscape 120–90mya, providing an oasis for wondrous creatures. Australia’s most beautiful and complete fossils from this time are of the spectacular marine reptiles that called this sea home.
Museum volunteer coordinator Tye Jeffrey tells us about ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pliosaurs and mosasaurs – all monstrous marine creatures that
