Overview
- Researchers published a PeerJ study that redefines the skull and biology of Queensland’s fossil emblem using about 1,300 new fragments recovered from the original site and fitted to the 1960s specimen.
- The team found teeth at the very tip of the snout and a narrow beak, which points to more selective feeding and helps place the species on an earlier branch of the ornithopod family tree.
- CT, neutron and synchrotron scans produced 3D models plus brain and inner‑ear data that suggest a mainly bipedal gait for movement, with the forelimbs used for support during feeding.
- Newly recognized nasal bones form large, complex air chambers that align with very large olfactory bulbs, indicating a keen sense of smell for finding food, sensing threats or navigation.
- Geological context and nasal anatomy tie the animal to shores of the mid‑Cretaceous Eromanga Sea and hint at salt‑processing nasal glands linked to eating coastal plants or small invertebrates.