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Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe stated the selection of the enduring dinosaur because the state’s fossil emblem would hopefully drive extra outback tourism.
“All people loves dinosaurs, they generate thousands and thousands of {dollars} for the customer economic system, and we need to see outback Queensland proceed to develop as Australia’s paleo capital,” he stated.
A statue of Muttaburrasaurus on the Muttaburrasaurus Interpretation Centre in Muttaburra.Credit score:Lisa Alexander
“That’s why the Palaszczuk authorities is investing in a dinosaur tourism street map to spotlight Queensland’s finest prehistoric experiences.”
Queensland Museum Community chief govt Dr Jim Thompson stated whereas all 12 nominees have been worthy fossils, he was pleased the museum’s dinosaur had been chosen.
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“Mutt, as individuals affectionately name it, is likely one of the most full skeletons of an Australian dinosaur, and it’s an ideal ambassador for palaeontology and dinosaur historical past,” he stated.
Queensland Museum palaeontologist Dr Scott Hocknull credit Mutt with sparking his personal curiosity within the subject.
“I began volunteering on the Queensland Museum as a child 30 years in the past and Muttaburrasaurus was the primary dinosaur fossil I started working on,” he stated.
“I used to dig dinosaurs as a child, however now I do it for actual, and I can thank Muttaburrasaurus for this.”
The addition of a state fossil was prompted by a petition final 12 months from the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum, within the outback Queensland city of Winton, which prompt the fossil of Diamantinasaurus matildae, a closely constructed titanosaur, be made the official state fossil.
Diamantinasaurus got here third within the ballot with 977 votes.
In all, 12 contenders have been put ahead for the general public to resolve, together with Kronosaurus queenslandicus, an historic aquatic reptile, Obdurodon dicksoni, an early platypus with enamel, and Lovellea wintonensis, an historic flower.
Muttaburrasaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived in northeastern Australia over 100 million years in the past in the course of the early Cretaceous interval.
A partial skeleton was first found in 1963 by native grazier Doug Langdon at a property close to the outback Queensland city of Muttaburra.
It was formally named Muttaburrasaurus langdoni by Queensland Museum palaeontologists in 1981 in honour of Muttaburra and Langdon.
NSW, Western Australia and South Australia all have official state fossils – two historic fish and an historic sea worm.
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