ARTICLES
Weewarrasauras Pobeni
By Dr Arthur White
A freak discovery, fate and a fascination with dinosaurs are
behind a scientific breakthrough that has led to the identification
of a new prehistoric species. Following the chance discovery of
a jawbone fragment in a bucket of opal rubble near Lightning
Ridge, “Weewarrasauras pobeni” is the first dinosaur to be both
discovered and named in New South Wales in almost a century.
Dr Bell and his team have spent the past two years investigating
and identifying the 100-million-year-old jaw. “There are certain
features about these teeth that make it a dead ringer for the group
of dinosaurs we call ornithopods, which are all characteristically
relatively small, dog-sized, bipedal animals that ate plants.”
Lightning Ridge is the only place in the world where dinosaur
bones routinely turn to opal. The University of New England is
now looking into acquiring mines known to produce fossils.
“Unfortunately, the fossil remnants we see are almost always part
of mining spoil, but on the other hand, if it weren’t for the mining
we would never get to see even those fragments,” Dr Bell said.
The Weewarrasaurus jaw is now part of the Australian Opal
Centre collection in Lightning Ridge, the world’s most diverse
public collection of opalised fossils.
Mr Poben’s fascination with fossils remains strong, and he
continues to collect and inspect opal fragments. He plans to
donate his collection to the Opal Centre.
“I think they have to stay in Australia, and they need to be on
display in Lightning Ridge. That’s where they belong,” he said.
The opalised piece of jaw and teeth that identified
WeeWarrosauras
It was a two-legged, plant-eating dinosaur, about the size of a
kelpie dog, that roamed the ancient floodplains in the State’s
north 100 million years ago.
The name honours the Wee Warra opal field where the fossil was
found, and also opal buyer Mike Poben, who noticed something
special in the specimen and donated it for research.
“I was drawn to it straight away,” Mr Poben said. “It’s like time
stood still; I had prickles up the back of my spine because there
was something in the back of my head saying “tooth”, and if it
was tooth it was jawbone, and if it really was a jawbone, which I’ve
never seen before because they’re so rare, then it was something
major.”
Artist's impression of a group of Weewarrasaurus, based on the
recent discovery of part of a jawbone and teet.
Ed.:- For SEN#3, 2013, I co-wrote an article, “Ideas for a Family
Vacation Trip – with a Science Flavour” with Dr Jenni Brammall,
a PhD in palaeontology from UNSW, who runs the Australian
Opal Centre at Lightning Ridge along with Elizabeth Smith, also a
PhD in palaeontology from the same UNSW. The Opal Centre is
extraordinary; apart from opal sales, there is a vast fossil display.
Mr Poben came across the fossil five years ago and shared it with
palaeontologist Dr Phil Bell from the University of New England
in Armidale.
“I remember Mike showing me the specimen, and my jaw
dropped,” Dr Bell said. “I had to try hard to contain my excitement,
it was so beautiful.”
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 68 NO 1