Overview

• Cassandra Prince discovered a small bone at Toolebuc Station in 2023 and, with her family, excavated a near-complete ichthyosaur in 2024.
• The 7.1-metre specimen is estimated to be about 90% complete, including a full vertebral column, rare hind flippers, a partial tail fin and an almost complete skull.
• Property owner Sam Daniels donated the fossil to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum in Winton for public stewardship.
• Museum scientists say the animal is likely Platypterygius australis, but they will confirm the identification after detailed preparation and study.
• Volunteers will undertake thousands of hours of careful preparation, using tools such as pneumatic scribes, and the museum plans to share progress with the public.