What are some Australian dinosaurs?
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Audience
Primary school, Secondary school -
Learning stage
Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4 -
Learning area
Science -
Type
Learning resources
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Australian dinosaurs are known mostly from fragmentary fossils, although these show that Australia had a unique and diverse range of dinosaurs. Most Australian dinosaurs come from the eastern half of Australia (Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria) although isolated dinosaur bones have been found in Western Australia and South Australia. New discoveries of relatively complete dinosaurs from Queensland are now putting Australia on the global dinosaur map and opening-up a ‘new frontier’ for dinosaur research.
- Palaeontology is the study of ancient life that has been preserved in rocks.
- Most Australian dinosaurs come from the eastern half of Australia (Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria) although isolated dinosaur bones have been found in Western Australia and South Australia.
- Some Australian dinosaur bones from Lightning Ridge in New South Wales have been uniquely preserved in opal, generally as casts of the original bone.
- Trackways - the preserved footprints of dinosaurs and other species - can help fill the gaps in the fossil record when body fossils are rare.
- Which dinosaurs are herbivores and carnivores? How can you tell and what type of food to you think they ate? Pay attention to their size!
- How do you think each dinosaur protected itself?
- What do you think the environment was like when dinosaurs roamed Australia?
- How do you think palaeontologists build up a picture of a dinosaur when they have only few a few body parts or only footprints?
Download and print this series of posters with facts about Australian dinosaurs. They can be used to discuss dinosaur adaptations, size and scale, types of fossils, fossil formation and the study of fossils.
