A schoolyard boulder in Queensland contains one of Australia’s densest collections of dinosaur footprints.
A researcher from the University of Queensland has confirmed that a boulder at a regional school holds one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur footprints per square meter ever recorded in Australia.
Dr. Anthony Romilio from UQ’s Dinosaur Lab identified 66 fossilized footprints on the boulder, which originated from the Callide Basin in Central Queensland. These tracks date back to the Early Jurassic period, approximately 200 million years ago.
“The footprints are from 47 individual dinosaurs which passed across a patch of wet, white clay, possibly walking along or crossing a waterway,” Dr. Romilio said.
“It’s an unprecedented snapshot of dinosaur abundance, movement, and behavior from a time when no fossilized dinosaur bones have been found in Australia. Each footprint has 3 toes, indicating they belong to the ichnospecies Anomoepus scambus.”
He continues, “These dinosaurs were small, with legs ranging from 15 – 50 cm in length and when they left these marks, they were traveling less than 6 km/hr. Evidence from skeletal fossils overseas tells us dinosaurs with feet like these were plant eaters with long legs, a chunky body, short arms, and a small head with a beak.”
A Hidden Treasure in Plain Sight
The remarkable rock was uncovered 20 years ago at Callide Mine near Biloela and given to the local high school.
Its significance remained unknown until Dr. Romilio’s previous work on nearby Mount Morgan footprints prompted the community to contact him.
“Significant fossils like this can sit unnoticed for years, even in plain sight,” Dr. Romilio said.
“It’s incredible to think that a piece of history this rich was resting in a schoolyard all this time. With advanced 3D imaging and light filters, I was able to reveal hidden details in the footprints. Another sample in this study of Callide Basin footprints was also hiding in plain sight – I spotted it being used as a carpark entry delineator at Callide Mine.”
He continues, “This rock is much larger at around 2 tons with 2 distinct footprints left by a slightly larger dinosaur walking on 2 legs around 80cm in length. Along with a sample from a third rock that is encased in resin and was being used as a bookend, we have gained new insight into the ancient past in this region.”
High-resolution models of the fossils are available online, allowing anyone to explore these ancient tracks in detail.
Reference: “Dinosaur footprints from the Lower Jurassic (Hettangian–Sinemurian) Precipice Sandstone of the Callide Basin, Queensland, Australia” by Anthony Romilio, Ron Park, Wes Nichols and Owen Jackson, 10 March 2025, Historical Biology.
DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2025.2472153
Investigation of the rock samples has been supported by Batchfire Resources, Biloela State High School and the Banana Shire Council.
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