Incredible dinosaur discovery: Herd of opal-encrusted dinos uncovered

FoxNews.com/science ^ | June 4, 2019 | James Rogers | Fox News

[ETL]

Researchers have discovered the fossilized remains of a herd of dinosaurs in an opal mine in the Australian outback.

The fossils were found in the mine near Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, and include a new dinosaur species as well as the world’s most complete opalized dino, according to experts.

“We initially assumed it was a single skeleton, but when I started looking at some of the bones, I realised that we had four scapulae (shoulder blades) all from different sized animals,” said Dr. Phil Bell, lead researcher from the University of New England in Australia, in a statement.

The remains were discovered by opal miner Robert Foster in the 1980s and include parts of four skeletons.

These include small juvenile dinosaurs and larger creatures, which may have been 16.4 feet in length.

Recent analysis has shed new light on the discoveries.

Bell said that there are about 60 opalized bones from one adult dinosaur and bones from at least three other animals.

The new dinosaur has been named Fostoria dhimbangunmal in honor of Foster.

The study is published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

[ETL]

What I specifically meant was that so little of Antarctica is ice free have any dino fossils actually been recovered there? Google says a few dinosaurs, but mostly marine and reptile fossils.

List of [28] Australian and Antarctic dinosaurs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_and_Antarctic_dinosaurs

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Discovery [Channel] Dinosaurs: Australia and Antarctica (52 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrqOGsLbNeU

[ETL]

All you’d ever want to know and more about opal at this link...

What is Opal?

https://www.opalauctions.com/learn/opal-information/what-is-opal

FWIW, Opal is my so-called "Birthstone"

[Adder]

So totally nifty neato....never heard of these.

Aside: dhimbangunmal ...pretty dhim name for a dino, imho.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks a fool in paradise, Berosus, Larry Lucido, and ETL!

[SunkenCiv]