Rock Found in School Declared Fossil Treasure by Scientists
Over twenty years, Australian students passed an unassuming 5-foot-long rock in their school’s entrance hall without realizing its importance. In 2023, when paleontologist Anthony Romilio examined the approximately 200-million-year-old object, he first had to scrape off some discarded chewing gum from the sandstone surface before closely inspecting it. "I was doubtful, as one might put it, since it's typically not the spot where you search for fossils," Romilio commented regarding educational institutions. However, Romilio discovered 66 dinosaur tracks on the boulder, which spans roughly 10 square feet, indicating one of the densest collections of dinosaur prints ever recorded in Australia, as stated in a study released this month in the journal. Historical Biology journal Forty-seven dinosaurs crossed over the boulder throughout their lives, with the rock being submerged under shallow water, providing clues about dinosaurs in the Early Jurassic era, a time for...