Dinosaur Cove -

Discoveries include pterosaurs (flying reptiles), aquatic plesiosaurs, turtles, lungfish, and various bony fish. 3. History of Excavation

The fossils are primarily found in the Eumeralla Formation , specifically within the Otway Group sediments. 2. Paleontological Significance

The fossil-bearing strata at Dinosaur Cove date back approximately 106 to 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur Cove

At the time, the area was part of a great rift valley formed as Australia began to separate from Antarctica. It served as a floodplain with ancient stream beds that now act as repositories for small animal bones.

Many fossils found here, such as the small ornithopod Leaellynasaura , show large eye sockets, suggesting they were adapted to see in the long, dark polar winters. Major Fossil Discoveries: It served as a floodplain with ancient stream

Dinosaur Cove is famous for providing evidence that dinosaurs lived in polar conditions. During the Early Cretaceous, this part of Australia was located approximately , well within the Antarctic Circle.

A small coelurosaur tentatively allied with tyrannosauroids; its bones show "lines of arrested growth," hinting it may have hibernated during cold months. During the Early Cretaceous

Dinosaur Cove is a world-renowned fossil-bearing site located on the rugged coast of Victoria, Australia, where the Otway Ranges meet the Southern Ocean. It is a site of international geological significance, particularly for its contribution to our understanding of "polar dinosaurs" that lived in extreme southern latitudes during the Early Cretaceous period. 1. Geological Context & Formation