A groundbreaking discovery in the Australian state of Victoria has rewritten the evolutionary history of theropod dinosaurs. Researchers from Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University have unearthed fossils of the world’s oldest known megaraptorids and the first evidence of carcharodontosaurs in Australia.
The research, led by Ph.D. student Jake Kotevski, reveals five new theropod fossils discovered along Victoria’s coastline, dating back to around 121-118 million years ago. These finds not only expand our understanding of Australia’s ancient ecosystem but also challenge previous assumptions about body-size hierarchies in Gondwanan predator ecosystems.
The most significant discovery is the presence of megaraptorids, which were previously thought to have originated in South America. However, this finding suggests that Australia played a pivotal role in Gondwanan ecosystems during the Early Cretaceous period. The megaraptorids discovered in Victoria are estimated to be around 6-7 meters long, while smaller carcharodontosaurs and agile unenlagiines were also present.
The research highlights the importance of museum collections in advancing scientific knowledge and fostering breakthroughs. Tim Ziegler, vertebrate paleontology collection manager at Museums Victoria Research Institute, notes that specimens preserved for decades are providing new insights into dinosaur ecosystems. This study is a testament to the collective efforts of scientists working together to build on existing knowledge.
The discovery was made possible by the contributions of community members, including volunteer Melissa Lowery, who first identified three of the fossils uncovered between 2022 and 2023. The research team continues to survey key fossil sites, prompting new avenues of investigation for the Dinosaur Dreaming project, which has led to over 10,000 fossil discoveries since its inception.
The findings have been published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology and are available online.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-02-australian-dinosaurs-oldest-megaraptorid-fossils.html