Australia's most intact Cooyoo australis fossil discovered in Richmond with specimen in its belly

UngulateNerd92

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The fossil of a predator fish that existed more than 100 million years ago has been discovered in north-west Queensland.

Key points:
  • The Cooyoo australis lived in Queensland's Eromanga Sea during the lower cretaceous period
  • The high quality of the fossil means experts can see the contents of the creature's stomach
  • The specimen will be on display in Richmond
Experts believe it is one Australia's most intact fossils of the Cooyoo australis fish — a large carnivore that once swam Queensland's inland Eromanga Sea.

The rare find was stumbled upon by a Northern Territory couple who had been digging at one of the public fossicking sites near the Kronosaurus Korner museum in Richmond — an area renowned for its significant fossil discoveries.

But the quality of the 1.6-metre specimen is not the only thing that has paleontologists excited.

"There are two extremely special things about this fish," Kronosaurus Korner founder and chairman Rob Ievers said.

https://amp-abc-net-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/102031456
 
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