Sunday, January 31, 2016

Leaellynasaurus: Enjoying the New Year Down Under

Leaellynasaurus

While northern polar regions of the Mesozoic Era endured extended winter darkness and chill, on the opposite side of the planet, southern polar regions were basking in the full flush of their summer heat and nearly 24 hours of daily sunlight. Here we see the lens of the Dino Cam focused on the dog-sized Cretaceous herbivore, Leaellynasaurus. Specimens of Leaellynasaurus have been found in a rich dinosaur fossil site on the southern coast of Australia called Dinosaur Cove. During the time of Leaellynasaurus, Dinosaur Cove was positioned even further south than it is today, lying fully within the Antarctic circle.