Footprints embed in the roof of the Mount Morgan cave in Queensland let out the dinosaur that made them was crouching as it walk . Rather than haunt prey , it seems the ancient beast was just trying to remain upright in knavish weather condition .
The roofs of at least nine caves around Mount Morgan have preserved dinosaur footprints made in what was once a muddy lake , including the most divers set of tracks in easterly Australia . To palaeontologists ' defeat , the cave have been shut out for a decade , not only to the populace but to researchers as well .
Dr Anthony Romilioof the University of Queensland made a breakthrough in understand these tracks through a prospect confluence with the girl of Ross Staines , who documented them before the blockage . Using elaborate records that had sit for decennium in a class cupboard Romiliorecently resolveda long - standing mystery about one set of print . promotion about that announcement yielded a 2nd find when theMount Morgan Historical Museuminformed Romilio they had photographs taken in a dissimilar part of the cave system before it was shut .
Now , Romilio has analyze the tracks in these pic , publish his findings inHistorical Biology .
Dinosaurs like the ones that made these prints usually walk on their toe , Romilio tell IFLScience , but the prints maker ’s whole feet were in inter-group communication with the ground . By look on surviving dinosaurs such as emus and stork , as well as grounds from footprint elsewhere , scientist have concluded a flat - footed stance equates to hold a crouching position .
When this has been reckon elsewhere it was usually from apparently stationary beast , possibly guard their eggs . Some dinosaurs may have crouched like World Tamil Association to pounce on target , but Romilio state in astatement , “ you may rule out predatory stalking demeanor , as this set of cut was made by a two - legged plant eater call in an ornithopod . ”
Nor was the Jehovah ducking beneath trees . Instead , Romilio call back the most likely explanation is the ornithopod was keeping its center of mass low for maximal stability on a slippery mud plain . “ Interestingly , this crouching dinosaur was taking bigger stairs than other ‘ normal ’ walk dinosaurs , ” headded .
The track - maker was credibly the same species , and perhaps even the same person , as the one responsible for for the heavy tracks from Romilio’sprevious find . Romilio told IFLScience the Jehovah of the prints has been given the nameAnomoepus , but has not been matched to a specific mintage bonk from finger cymbals or teeth . Similar , if normally slightly lowly , prints are widespread across Queensland and beyond , indicatingAnomoepuswas once middling common and outlive much of the Jurassic .
Romilio trust to one day learn the cave directly , or at least ship in a drone . As long as they remain closed , however , he ’d love to hear from anyone with further mislaid records .
