Australia has discovered for the first time a complete plesiosaur fossil in outback Queensland, ABC News has reported.
Among the four-person specialist team that discovered the ancient fossil was Greek Australian Christina Chiotakis.
Chiotakis is a Palaeontological Research Assistant at Queensland Museum Network and told ABC News that finding the plesiosaur “was absolutely phenomenal.”
— Queensland Museum (@qldmuseum) December 7, 2022
Rare new fossil find from Western QLD. Palaeontologists led by Dr Espen Knutsen @e_m_knutsen from @MTQ_Townsville have uncovered the first official head and body of a 100-million-year-old plesiosaur. https://t.co/UvDfIzD4M8
Supported by @bhp #ProjectDIGQM #QMNetwork @jcu pic.twitter.com/D5dzVFNB0X
The head and body of the 100-million-year-old fossil were fully intact and scientists say this ancient marine reptile has flippers that resemble a turtle and a long neck similar to a giraffe.
Chiotakis was intimately involved in the discovery, working at the excavation site over five days in October this year. The Greek Australian packaged the individual bones in bubble wrap, plaster and wet toilet paper.
She will be studying the ancient fossil at the Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville for further analysis.
Source: ABC News.
