Palaeontologists have discovered 66 three-toed dinosaur footprints in a slab of rock that has been on display for 20 years at a school in Queensland
By James Woodford
12 March 2025
Anthony Romilio examines the slab at Biloela State High School in Queensland, Australia
University of Queensland
A slab of 200-million-year-old rock that has been on display for 20 years at a school in Queensland, Australia, contains 66 footprints from 47 individual dinosaurs.
The rock was gifted to Biloela State High School by the nearby Callide mine, where it was found by coal miners. Although it was recognised as containing numerous dinosaur footprints, no one realised its true significance until a team led by Anthony Romilio at the University of Queensland visited the school.
Read more
Largest ever animal may have been Triassic ichthyosaur super-predator
Advertisement
“I could see there were a lot of dinosaur footprints,” says Romilio. “I knew it was a highly significant discovery.”
The slab is so heavy that it took several strong people to lift it into a position where it could be studied. Romilio also had to remove chewing gum that had been stuck onto it by school students.
But it wasn’t until he had cast a 3D silicon model, taken photographs and processed them that the full extent of the find was revealed.