Was there an unusual environment with equally remarkable inhabitants in Early Cretaceous southeast Australia? [ 2002-01-01 - 2006-12-31 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Dr Thomas Rich (Chief Investigator) ,  Dr Timothy Flannery (Chief Investigator) ,  Prof Patricia Vickers-Rich (Chief Investigator)

Brief description Was there an unusual environment with equally remarkable inhabitants in Early Cretaceous southeast Australia? After more than two decades of effort, there is strong evidence that Early Cretaceous southeastern Australia was inhabited by a remarkably diverse polar terrestrial vertebrate fauna adapted to the coldest environment known to have existed anywhere in the late Mesozoic. In this unusual terrestrial habitat for that time, temnospondyl amphibians and allosaurid dinosaurs survived long after becoming extinct elsewhere. Here, too, are found what may be the oldest known and yet remarkably advanced placental mammals, the group to which we belong. To further corroborate or refute these hypotheses, some of which are highly contentious, is the aim of this project.

Funding Amount $554,000

Funding Scheme Discovery Projects

View this grant in the ARC Data Portal