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List of Australian and Antarctic dinosaurs facts for kids

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100 global
Globe showing Australia and Antarctica, approx 100 Mya

This is a list of dinosaurs whose remains have been recovered from Australia or Antarctica.

Criteria for inclusion

List of Australian and Antarctic dinosaurs

Valid genera

Name Year Formation Location Notes Images
Antarctopelta 2006 Snow Hill Island Formation (Late Cretaceous, Campanian) Antarctica Possessed unusual caudal vertebrae that may have supported a "macuahuitl" as in Stegouros Antarctopelta Size Comparison.svg
Atlascopcosaurus 1989 Eumeralla Formation (Early Cretaceous, Aptian to Albian)  Australia Only known from remains of jaws and teeth Atlascopcosaurus loadsi.JPG
Australotitan 2021 Winton Formation (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian to Turonian)  Australia The largest dinosaur known from Australia, comparable in size to large South American dinosaurs Australotitan cooperensis.png
Australovenator 2009 Winton Formation (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian)  Australia Analysis of its arms suggest it was well-adapted to grasping Australovenator reconstruction.jpg
Austrosaurus 1933 Allaru Formation (Early Cretaceous, Albian)  Australia Its holotype was found associated with marine shells Austrosaurus LM.png
Cryolophosaurus 1994 Hanson Formation (Early Jurassic, Pliensbachian) Antarctica Had a distinctive "pompadour" crest that spanned the head from side to side Cryolophosaurus reconstruction.jpg
Diamantinasaurus 2009 Winton Formation (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian)  Australia May have been closely related to South American titanosaurs, suggesting they dispersed to Australia via Antarctica Diamantinasaurus ulna.png
Diluvicursor 2018 Eumeralla Formation (Early Cretaceous, Albian)  Australia Lived in a prehistoric floodplain close to a high-energy river Diluvicursor life restoration.png
Fostoria 2019 Griman Creek Formation (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian)  Australia Four individuals have been found in association Fostoria braincase.jpg
Fulgurotherium 1932 Griman Creek Formation (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian)  Australia Fragmentary, but may have been an elasmarian Fulgurotherium australe.jpg
Galleonosaurus 2019 Wonthaggi Formation (Early Cretaceous, Barremian)  Australia Its upper jaw bone resembles a galleon when turned upside-down Galleonosaurus specimens.jpg
Glacialisaurus 2007 Hanson Formation (Early Jurassic, Pliensbachian) Antarctica Basal yet survived late enough to coexist with true sauropods Glacialisaurus2.jpg
Imperobator 2019 Snow Hill Island Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) Antarctica Unusually for a paravian, it lacked an enlarged sickle claw Imperobator.png
Kakuru 1980 Bulldog Shale (Early Cretaceous, Aptian)  Australia Poorly known Kakuru.png
Kunbarrasaurus 2015 Allaru Formation, Toolebuc Formation (Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous, Albian to Cenomanian)  Australia Preserves stomach contents containing ferns, fruits, and seeds Minmi model Canberra email.jpg
Leaellynasaura 1989 Eumeralla Formation (Early Cretaceous, Albian)  Australia One referred specimen has an extremely long tail; if it does belong to this genus, it would be three times as long as the rest of the body Leaellynasaura.jpg
Minmi 1980 Bungil Formation (Early Cretaceous, Aptian)  Australia Had long legs for an ankylosaur, possibly to help it run into bushes for protection Minmi paravertebra dinosauria.png
Morrosaurus 2016 Snow Hill Island Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) Antarctica Closely related to Australian and South American ornithopods Morrosaurus.jpg
Muttaburrasaurus 1981 Allaru Formation?, Mackunda Formation (Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous, Albian to Cenomanian)  Australia Possessed a short oval bump on its snout Muttaburrasaurus NT.jpg
Ozraptor 1998 Colalura Sandstone (Middle Jurassic, Bajocian)  Australia Potentially the oldest known abelisauroid Ozraptor UDL.png
Qantassaurus 1999 Wonthaggi Formation (Early Cretaceous, Barremian)  Australia Distinguished from its other contemporary ornithopods by its relatively short dentary Qantassaurus skel aus.jpg
Rapator 1932 Griman Creek Formation (Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous, Albian to Cenomanian)  Australia Known from only a metacarpal RapatorCameronSpahn.jpg
Rhoetosaurus 1926 Walloon Coal Measures (Late Jurassic, Oxfordian)  Australia Retains four claws on its hind feet, a basal trait Rhoetosaurus Scale.svg
Savannasaurus 2016 Winton Formation (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian to Turonian)  Australia May have spent more time near water than other sauropods Savannasaurus elliottorum.jpg
Serendipaceratops 2003 Wonthaggi Formation (Early Cretaceous, Barremian to Albian)  Australia Possessed a robust ulna similar to those of ceratopsians and ankylosaurs, but was likely a member of the latter group
Timimus 1993 Eumeralla Formation (Early Cretaceous, Albian)  Australia Potentially a tyrannosauroid; if so it would be one of the few Gondwanan members of that group Timimus.tif
Trinisaura 2013 Snow Hill Island Formation (Late Cretaceous, Campanian) Antarctica The first ornithopod named from Antarctica Trinisaura2.jpg
Weewarrasaurus 2018 Griman Creek Formation (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian)  Australia Unusually, its fossils were preserved in opal Weewarrasaurus reconstruction.jpg
Wintonotitan 2009 Winton Formation (Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous, Albian to Cenomanian)  Australia More gracile than other contemporary titanosaurs Wintonotitan.png

Invalid and potentially valid genera

  • Agrosaurus macgillivrayi: Although originally reported as being from Australia, it may actually be from Europe, possibly being synonymous with Thecodontosaurus.
  • "Allosaurus robustus": Originally described as a new species of Allosaurus, but may actually represent a megaraptoran or abelisauroid.
  • "Biscoveosaurus": Said to be a large ornithopod contemporary with Morrosaurus.
  • Walgettosuchus woodwardi: It has been considered synonymous with Rapator, but too little is known of both genera to be certain.

Timeline

This is a timeline of selected dinosaurs from the list above. Time is measured in Ma, megaannum, along the x-axis.

Mesozoic Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous Wintonotitan Weewarrasaurus Trinisaura Timimus Rhoetosaurus Rapator Qantassaurus Ozraptor Muttaburrasaurus Minmi (dinosaur) Leaellynasaura Kakuru Glacialisaurus Diluvicursor Diamantinasaurus Cryolophosaurus Austrosaurus Australovenator Antarctopelta Mesozoic Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous

See also

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List of Australian and Antarctic dinosaurs Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.