In a remarkable twist of fate, a dusty slab of rock that had sat quietly in an Australian school for nearly two decades has been revealed to contain one of the most significant dinosaur fossil discoveries in the country’s history. Scientists announced on Wednesday that the slab, which had gathered dust and faded into the background at a rural Queensland school, is stamped with an astonishing collection of fossilized dinosaur footprints—offering a rare window into life some 200 million years ago.
A Hidden Gem in Banana Shire
The story begins in Banana Shire, a rural area in Queensland, Australia. Back in 2002, coal miners working near the small town of Biloela unearthed a curious slab of rock. What caught their attention were a series of unusual three-toed impressions marking its surface. Realizing it might be something of interest, the miners gifted the slab to the local school.
For years, it stood in the foyer of the school, quietly admired by students, staff, and visitors who passed it daily. Yet, as the years ticked by, the rock’s true significance remained a mystery. Some thought it was just a replica—an educational prop meant to inspire curiosity. Few could have imagined that it was an authentic and exceptionally rare relic from the early Jurassic period, a time when Australia was part of the supercontinent Gondwana.
It wasn’t until the school approached Dr. Anthony Romilio, a paleontologist from the University of Queensland, that the rock’s secret came to light. The school had reached out to Romilio, known for his work on ancient dinosaur tracks, seeking to verify whether their dusty old display was genuinely significant. What Romilio discovered would rewrite the school’s—and the region’s—paleontological story.
“My Jaw Dropped”
“When I first saw the slab, my jaw dropped,” Romilio recalled. “It was so much more than I expected. Here was this incredibly dense concentration of dinosaur tracks, and it had been hiding in plain sight all these years.”
The rock contained 66 distinct footprints, all preserved in remarkable detail. What was even more surprising was that these footprints were packed into a slab measuring less than one square meter. According to Romilio, this represents one of the densest accumulations of dinosaur tracks ever documented in Australia.
An Ancient Scene Frozen in Time
The footprints, dating back to the early Jurassic period—around 200 million years ago—were made by a species known as Anomoepus scambus. These dinosaurs were small, chunky, bipedal herbivores, roughly the size of a large emu. Despite their relatively modest size, the sheer number of tracks suggests they once roamed the area in significant numbers.
“This slab offers an unprecedented snapshot of dinosaur abundance, movement, and behavior from a time when we have no fossilized dinosaur bones in Australia,” Romilio explained. “It’s incredibly rare to find this kind of detailed fossil record from the early Jurassic. These footprints give us insights we can’t get from bones alone.”
Tracks like these, preserved in ancient sediment that later turned to rock, act like a diary from the past. They show not just what kinds of animals lived in the area, but how they moved, how fast they walked, and sometimes even how they interacted with each other or with their environment. These details help paleontologists reconstruct ancient ecosystems in vivid detail.
Overlooked But Not Forgotten
Fossilized footprints, or ichnites, are often overlooked in favor of more “glamorous” finds like skeletons or skulls. But they are incredibly valuable to scientists because they offer dynamic information that bones can’t. Tracks can tell us about an animal’s speed, gait, and even behavior—whether it was walking alone or as part of a group, for instance.
“Tracks are some of the most abundant dinosaur fossils, but they tend to get cast aside,” Romilio said. “They just don’t have the sex appeal of a fossilized skull or skeleton. But for me, they’re fascinating. They’re moments frozen in time.”
Romilio believes that many such discoveries may be hiding in plain sight, particularly in regions like Queensland where mining and agriculture frequently unearth ancient rocks. And as his recent find demonstrates, sometimes those discoveries are right under our noses.
The Boulder That Stopped Traffic
Romilio’s investigation in the Banana Shire didn’t stop at the school. While driving into a local coal mine car park, something caught his eye. One of the large boulders placed along the edges of the lot—used to prevent cars from driving onto the grass—was covered in fossilized impressions.
“As I was pulling into the car park, I glanced at one of those rocks they use to stop cars, and there it was,” Romilio recounted. “Clear as day, a fossilized dinosaur track staring back at me. My jaw dropped again. It was like the fossils were following me.”
The two-tonne boulder, previously serving a purely practical purpose, turned out to be another remarkable example of preserved dinosaur tracks. Romilio’s discoveries in the region are now sparking new efforts to survey other similar rocks, both in local communities and in mine sites, for additional fossils.
What Happens Next?
The findings from Romilio and his team have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Historical Biology. Their study highlights not only the scientific significance of the footprints but also the need for greater awareness and preservation of such discoveries.
The fossil-laden slab has since been carefully moved from the school foyer to a more secure location where it can be studied in detail. Plans are underway to create high-resolution 3D scans of the rock so that both researchers and the public can access and explore the tracks virtually.
Romilio hopes the discovery will inspire more people in regional communities to take a closer look at their surroundings. “Significant fossils like this can sit unnoticed for years, even in plain sight,” he said. “It’s incredible to think that a piece of history this rich was resting in a schoolyard all this time.”
The Bigger Picture: Australia’s Dinosaur Legacy
Australia’s dinosaur fossil record is famously patchy, especially from the early Jurassic period. While significant bone fossils have been found from the later parts of the Mesozoic Era, there are notable gaps—particularly when it comes to bones dating back 200 million years. As a result, any evidence from this period is invaluable.
Footprints like the ones found in Banana Shire offer clues about which dinosaurs once called Australia home, how they lived, and how the continent’s prehistoric ecosystems evolved. The Anomoepus scambus tracks not only confirm the presence of these herbivorous dinosaurs in ancient Australia but also add to our understanding of their range and behavior.
Romilio believes there’s enormous potential for further discoveries in the region. “The vast majority of dinosaur fossils aren’t found by paleontologists,” he said. “They’re found by people on the ground—miners, farmers, schoolteachers. And when they share those finds with scientists, that’s when we can begin to piece together the bigger picture.”
A Lesson in Looking Closer
This discovery is a poignant reminder that sometimes history hides in the most unexpected places. A school foyer, a parking lot, or even a roadside boulder might contain the key to unlocking stories from our planet’s ancient past.
Romilio’s work is ongoing. He continues to explore Queensland and other parts of Australia, working with local communities to identify potential fossil sites. He encourages everyone to remain curious and to pay attention to what might otherwise be considered ordinary rocks. As his recent discoveries prove, extraordinary things can be found where you least expect them.
Final Thoughts
The story of the forgotten slab of rock in Banana Shire is more than just a tale of fossilized footprints. It’s a testament to human curiosity and the importance of taking a closer look at the world around us. It shows that science isn’t confined to laboratories or museums but can be found in everyday life, waiting to be discovered.
And who knows? The next great paleontological discovery in Australia might already be resting quietly in another schoolyard—or even in your own backyard.
Reference: Anthony Romilio et al, Dinosaur footprints from the Lower Jurassic (Hettangian–Sinemurian) Precipice Sandstone of the Callide Basin, Queensland, Australia, Historical Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2025.2472153