Muttaburrasaurus

Figure 32: Right metatarsi of selected ornithopods in proximal view. A–R: (A) Diluvicursor pickeringi; (B) NMV P186047; (C) Morrosaurus antarcticus; (D) Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis; (E) Anabisetia saldiviai; (F) Kangnasaurus coetzeei; (G) Eousdryosaurus nanohallucis; (H) Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki; (I) Dryosaurus altus; (J) Changchunsaurus parvus; (K) Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis; (L) Hypsilophodon foxii; (M) Tenontosaurus tilletti; (N) Cumnoria prestwichii; (O) Muttaburrasaurus langdoni; (P) Talenkauen santacrucensis; (Q) Parksosaurus warreni; and (R) Thescelosaurus assiniboiensis. Metatarsi normalised for dorsoplantar depth of metatarsal II (shaded black). Dashed lines indicate uncertain bone margins. ?, indicates location of uncertain/expected/missing metatarsal. Abbreviation: mt #, metatarsal position. For data sources, see Table S1.

Seven ornithopods (top to bottom): Ouranosaurus, Tenontosaurus (background) with Convolosaurus (foreground), Muttaburrasaurus, Edmontosaurus annectens, Dryosaurus altus, Corythosaurus casuarius

Seven ornithopods (top to bottom): Ouranosaurus, Tenontosaurus (background) with Convolosaurus (foreground), Muttaburrasaurus, Edmontosaurus annectens, Dryosaurus altus, Corythosaurus casuarius

Seven ornithopods (top to bottom): Ouranosaurus, Tenontosaurus (background) with Convolosaurus (foreground), Muttaburrasaurus, Edmontosaurus annectens, Dryosaurus altus, Corythosaurus casuarius

Seven ornithopods (top to bottom): Ouranosaurus, Tenontosaurus (background) with Convolosaurus (foreground), Muttaburrasaurus, Edmontosaurus annectens, Dryosaurus altus, Corythosaurus casuarius

Seven ornithopods (top to bottom): Ouranosaurus, Tenontosaurus (background) with Convolosaurus (foreground), Muttaburrasaurus, Edmontosaurus annectens, Dryosaurus altus, Corythosaurus casuarius

Seven ornithopods (top to bottom): Ouranosaurus, Tenontosaurus (background) with Convolosaurus (foreground), Muttaburrasaurus, Edmontosaurus annectens, Dryosaurus altus, Corythosaurus casuarius

Muttaburrasaurus The plants, animals and climate of the Australian continent have changed dramatically over long periods of time. Imagine this giant creature roaming the luxuriant wet forests that covered parts of the continent in the Cretaceous period, about 100-110 million years ago. The Muttaburrasaurus ambled along on all four legs or stood on its hind legs. Its large teeth were well adapted to eat tough vegetation such as the leathery foliage of the evergreen forests of Araucaria trees, ancient relatives of the bunya pine of south-eastern Queensland. In 1963, grazier Doug Langdon discovered the fossilised bones of a dinosaur on his property near Muttaburra in central-west Queensland. It was one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons found in Australia. The bones belonged to a new species of ornithopod and palaeontologists named it Muttaburrasaurus langdoni. Cast of Muttaburresaurus langdoni 1987 made by Queensland Museum, Brisbane National Museum of Australia