Flat Rocks Site Report - 2001

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Thursday 19th October was the annual Friends of Dinosaur Dreaming night
at Monash University, here in Melbourne, which discusses the latest
season at the Flat Rocks site near Inverloch, in south eastern
Australia.

This seasons excavation was in an area of the stream channel that would
have been closer to the bank, so lower energy water flow meant smaller
bones. It is hoped that this area of the site may yeild articulated
remains in later seasons.

A new Ausktribosphenid has been described. Bishops whitmorei is based on
a 13mm mandible with nine (count them, nine!) teeth. It is said to be
more advanced than A.niktos (and even more placental-like). The name
honours two people from the Nat.Geographic Society. They have funded the
project for many years, and recently presented the team with an award.
The name seems to be a ploy to "butter up" the Nat.Geo people to ensure
their continued support - ah, the politics of palaeontology. Not that
they really need buttering up; in May of next year they will be devoting
a six-page spread to the south east Oz excavations.

Apparently the Bishops paper, and that which describes the monotreme
nature of Teinolophos, have been published, although no references were
given in the report.

Three new mammal jaws were found this season, one being Bishops. A
second, even tinier, jaw seems to represent a new species of
Ausktribosphenid. It is only about half the size of A.niktos, and is in
the lower-most range of living mammal sizes. AND it lived in a polar
environment. Close-up photos show it stuck to the end of a pin; the pin
looked like a tree trunk!

Two of the three jaws weren't actually found during the excavation
itself, but during a one-day training excavation in December 2000 (to
train new volunteers in how to recognise teeny tiny little fossils), a
few weeks prior to the season.

As usual, fish and turtle bones were found in abundance this year (funny
that, in river deposits). Other remains include a pterosaur tooth,
theropod teeth (bringing the total to around 50 since 1992), some
theropod skull fragments and vertebrae, and the largest bone found this
season - a hypsie femor all of 15cm long.

Most of the theropod teeth were shed, although one was found with the
root intact (indicating the animal was dead when it fell out). Phil
Currie is currently studying the teeth in Alberta.

The Ferguson site was excavated again this season. About 1 km from Flat
Rocks, it was where the first dinosaur bone from Victoria was found in
1903. About eleven specimens were recovered this year, including a 15mm
plesiosaur tooth.

Palynological studies of layers in and around the cryoturbation deposits
seem to indicate that ferns dominated the landscape, with very few tree
species represented. Forget the forest scenes in "Walking With
Dinosaurs". This area seems to have been more like a fern tundra, with
the occasional swamp.

Specimens on display included an ornithomimid caudal, several juvenile
hypsie fragments (some VERY young), a possible theropod braincase
fragment, a possible theropod toe bone, a nice complete hypsie
vertebrae, and the "huge" 15cm hypsie femor. The number of extremely
ornithomimid-like remains seem to keep increasing.

Also on display (although in a glass case by the main doors, so not part
of that season's yeild) was a proximal fragment of a very large theropod
manual claw. A cast of a Baryonyx claw was shown along side, and seemed
to have been about the same size.

In 2003 parts of the South Gippsland highway will be straightened, so a
team plans to be there should they cut into more of the Koonwarra
deposits (which were discovered during the building of the highway).
Here's hoping for some nice feathery theropod remains. :)

Dr Tom Rich's lecture also discussed his plans to excavate dinosaur
material from the permafrost in northern Alaska. Rather than sorting
through the mud slides that result from summer thawing of the permafrost
cliffs (something that is as dangerous as it is unpleasant), he proposes
drilling into the side of the cliffs during early spring and excavating
the fossil layers from the relative comfort of the tunnels. Such tunnels
already exist (although not it seems in the right places) and remain
quite stable for a long time. He is currently schmoozing wealthy
gatabouts in Alaska for the funds to do so. If the pilot project proves
feasible, he plans to leave subsequent excavations to the locals (after
imparting his tunnelling experience).

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Dann Pigdon                   Australian Dinosaurs:
GIS Archaeologist           http://www.geocities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia        http://www.alphalink.com.au/~dannj/
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