The 2024 Field Report is in the mail!

This morning, I mailed the 2024 Field Report to all crew and the Australian-based contributors (I'll send the international ones after Christmas when going to the Post Office is less scary).

The Cover features a beautiful painting of the dig site by first-time digger Marlonique Wolmarans. Notice how the little ornithopod dinosaurs have gravitated to me. Dinosaurs love me.

I would like to thank my proofreaders and Mark Collier from New Artworx who once again did a lovely job printing it.

An electronic copy is on the website Field Reports | Dinodreaming.

Rookies Day 8 Dec

 

Corrie and Prahaladh clean rocks

Corrie and Prahaladh still cleaning rocks

Marion, Mary and Lesley confer

Prahaladh and Annie clean rocks

Petrina digs

Petrina takes a break from digging

Tex takes a close look at a rock

Doris and Prahaladh with practice rocks

Marion, Doris, Prahaladh and Annie

Jonathan, Doris, Mary and Lesley

Annie and Corrie break rock

Rookies Day Prep

 This weekend Lesley, Doris, Corrie and Wendy did some work to make sure we are ready for the first proper Rookies Training day we have had since Covid.

Corrie and Doris trim some practice rocks

Marked and unmarked fossils washed
and laid out ready for bagging

ABC Back Roads

Check out Mike and Melissa looking for dinosaurs on ABC Back Roads Series 10!

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/back-roads

Footprints!!!

 Check out the new paper by Tony Martin, Melissa Lowery et al...

Polar dinosaur tracks of the Wonthaggi Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Victoria, Australia and their palaeontological significance: Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access (tandfonline.com)

For those who would like a less technical read:

1. Large theropod dinosaurs thrived near South Pole, Australian tracks show (phys.org)
2. Large theropods thrived near South Pole, Australian tracks show (emory.edu)

Qantassaurus Impressions!

 Yesterday, whilst doing a little backlog box processing, we came across the impressions of the Qantassaurus intrepidus holotype! Of course, it was not labelled that way since it hadn’t been named yet… instead it was referred to as a “Hypsi” jaw found by Nicole Evered!

Impressions with a Qantassaurus cast!

Koonwarra Rock on the move

The rock from the Koonwarra road cutting has migrated from Fish Creek to Phillip Island.

It is full of plants and fish and insects and maybe if we are really lucky maybe even a feather!

It is still happily waiting to reveal its secrets for next time we arrange for a crew to break it up.

Photo: Mike Cleeland

Photo: Mike Cleeland