Welcome to the Muttaburrasaurus Interpretation Centre
The centre is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ! Entry is free of charge, just open the door! Wheelchair Friendly!
In 1963 local Grazier Doug Langdon uncovered the most complete fossilized Dinosaur skeleton yet to be discovered in Australia. Being the first of its kind it was named the Muttaburrasaurus Langdoni. The Muttaburrasaurus was a plant eating, land living dinosaur that roamed the Earth around 100 million years ago. It grew to about 7m long and was 3m high at the hip. A herbivore, the dinosaur is estimated to have weighed about 2800 kg and it could walk on two or four legs.A unique feature of Muttaburrasaurus is its large rounded snout, which has hollow internal chambers. Scientists believe these chambers may have been used to enhance the animals sense of smell. Alternatively, they may also have formed a resonating chamber, enabling the animal to make loud hooting sounds to communicate with other members of its species.
Geology
Concretions:
A concretion is a compact mass of mineral matter, usually spherical or disk-shaped, embedded in a host rock of a different composition. This hard, round mass of sedimentary rock cement is carried into place by ground water. Concretions, the most varied-shaped rocks of the sedimentary world, occur when a considerable amount of cementing material precipitates locally around a nucleus, often organic, such as a leaf, tooth, piece of shell or fossil.
The bones of Mutt were found in sandstone concretions. Shortly after the skeleton was buried, carbonate crystals in the groundwater grew around the bones to form hard layers that protected them over immense time. Many such layers may build up, having different concentrations of the compounds, and sometimes showing different colours. These layers are a bit like the rings of an onion. As well as bones, concretions also grew around wood and shells. Often, however, concretions don't have any fossils inside.
Eromanga Sea & Fossils:
At the time of the Eromanga Sea, sea levels were up to 50 metres higher than today and there were no polar ice caps.
Giant marine reptiles, including plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, were the top predators. The sea was brimming with fishes and inverterbrates.
Fossils are formed in many different ways, but most are formed when a living organism (such as a plant or animal) dies and is quickly buried by sediment (such as mud, sand or volcanic ash). Soft tissues often decompose, leaving only the hard bones or shells behind (but in special circumstances the soft tissues of organisms can be preserved). After the organism has been buried, more sediment, volcanic ash or lava can build up over the top of the buried organism and eventually all the layers harden into rock (they become ‘lithified’). It is only when the process of erosion - when the rocks are worn back down and washed away - occurs that these once living organisms are revealed to us from within the stones.
Many different fossilsd are on display here in the centre, all were part of the Eromanga Sea ecosystem, the same time the Muttaburrasaurus roamed.
To log a find on this earthcache you must answer the following questions to be sent via message:
Compare the concretions in the sample of sandstone with the sample in the large boulder seating
1. Which sample has fossils and which one does not? Explain how you came to this conclusion
2. Look closely at the sandstone concretion, why does it have layers?
There are 10 fossil's on display in the cabinet, observe them and answer the following question
3. Pick one of the fossils, state it's number, name and describe in your own words how this fossil was formed.
4. Take a photo of yourself OR a personal item with the replica Muttaburrasaurus statue inside the centre and upload this to your online log
Please MESSAGE your answers to me using the the link at the top of the page underneath the name of the cache.
This method is preferred and I will reply promptly upon recieving your message. Otherwise an email is OK too!
Feel free to log your "Found It!" in the meantime, if any problems occur I will let you know
Most importantly thouugh, have fun and enjoy the Muttaburrasaurus Interpretation Centre 