Muttaburrasaurus

Name Origin

Lizard of Muttaburra (Named after the town of Muttaburra)

Family

Rhabdodontidae

Classification

Diapsida, Ornithischia, Ornithopoda

Habitat (Discovery Location)

Australia

Period

Approximately 100 million years ago (Early Cretaceous)

Length

Approximately 10 meters

Weight

Approximately 2.8 tons

Diet

Herbivore

Description

During the Early Cretaceous (about 100 million years ago), the Australian continent had a relatively warm environment, with temperatures similar to modern-day Sapporo or Sakhalin.
It was in this land that “Muttaburasaurus,” boasting one of the largest sizes among ornithopods discovered in Australia, evolved uniquely.

Reaching a total length of 10 meters, this dinosaur looks like Iguanodon at first glance, but it possessed a strange “hollow bump” on its nose and powerful teeth resembling those of a ceratopsian.

“Too Big for Cow Bones” Found on a Ranch and Opalized Fossils

Muttaburasaurus is one of Australia’s most iconic dinosaurs.
There is an episode regarding its discovery that is unique to this region.

The Story of Discovery

In 1963, Doug Langdon, a rancher in Muttaburra, Queensland, discovered strange bones on his land.
Feeling they were “too big to be cow bones,” he asked a museum to investigate, and they turned out to be dinosaur fossils.
Later, in 1981, about 20 years after the discovery, it was formally named after the location and the discoverer.
Although the forelimbs are incomplete, it is one of the most complete skeletons found in Australia.

A Dinosaur Turned Gem

Additionally, fossils discovered in New South Wales possessed a very beautiful characteristic.
Usually, fossils are replaced by minerals, but in this region, parts of the bones were replaced by “opal.”
It can truly be called a “dinosaur turned into a gem” born from the Australian earth.

The Biggest Mystery! What Was the Role of the “Hollow Nose”?

The greatest feature of Muttaburasaurus is its unique facial appearance.
There was an elliptically raised “bony bump” on the upper part of the nose (snout).
The inside was hollow and bulged largely forward, and the following three roles are conjectured.

Amplifier Theory

They used the hollow section as a resonating chamber to create distinctive calls to communicate with others.

Olfactory Aid Theory

The olfactory organs inside were developed, making it a high-performance nose for sniffing out food or enemies.

Display Theory

It was a decoration used to appeal to the opposite sex by inflating the skin to change its appearance.

The Evolutionary Mystery of Having “Ceratopsian Teeth” Despite Looking Like Iguanodon

They also contain many mysteries regarding classification.
They were once thought to be close relatives of Iguanodon or hadrosaurs, but the structure inside their mouths was decisively different from them.

“Slicing” Instead of “Grinding”

While the teeth of general Iguanodon types are shaped for grinding plants, Muttaburasaurus teeth had a sharp structure suitable for “slicing (shearing)” plants.
This is a characteristic actually closer to ceratopsians like Triceratops.

Unique Diet and Classification

With developed jaw muscles and sharp teeth, they likely sliced and ate hard plants like cycads, and the possibility of omnivory—eating small animals—has also been pointed out.
Currently, they are considered to be relatives of “Rhabdodon,” which is more primitive than Iguanodon, but they can be called a symbol of unique evolution born from the isolated environment of Australia.