David Elliott (palaeontologist)

Last updated

David Elliott
OAM
David-Elliott-The-Jump-Up-2023.jpg
Elliott in 2023
Born (1957-06-06) June 6, 1957 (age 67)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. [1]
Known forDinosaurs, palaeotourism
SpouseJudy Elliott
Scientific career
Fields paleontology, farming
Institutions
Website www.australianageofdinosaurs.com

David Anthon Elliott OAM (born June 6, 1957) is an Australian palaeontologist and sheep and cattle grazier who co-founded the Australian Age of Dinosaurs in Winton, Queensland, with his wife Judy and currently serves as Executive Chairman. [2] His significant contributions to the local, national and global communities have been far-reaching, with a profound impact on the field of palaeontology. Through the establishment and development of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, he has pioneered a new form of tourism known as palaeotourism, attracting new visitors to regional Australia.

Contents

Biography

Elliott grew up in Winton, Queensland as the second child of Robert and Noreen Elliott. He was a student at All Souls St Gabriels School in Charters Towers before graduating from Longreach Pastoral College in 1974. [1] Elliott married his wife Judy in 1986, and the two went on to raise their four children on their large property, Belmont Station, making a living as sheep and cattle graziers.

In 1999, at the age of 42, Elliott discovered the fossilized bone of Australia's largest dinosaur [3] while mustering sheep at Belmont. This significant find, along with subsequent discoveries made with the Queensland Museum, led Elliott and his wife to hold a public meeting on 17 August 2002, to discuss building a dinosaur museum in Winton.

In October 2002, Australian Age of Dinosaurs Incorporated was established as a not-for-profit organization. [4] [5] For the first seven years, the Museum operated on the Elliotts' property, where they conducted annual dinosaur digs and amassed an incredible collection of Australian dinosaur bones. This operation was eventually relocated in 2009 to donated land on The Jump-Up, a vast mesa near Winton. [6] The Museum's growth has been impressive, with various stages of construction leading to the completion of crucial infrastructure.

Contributions to palaeontology

Over the last two decades, Elliott has been involved in the discovery of several new species of Australian prehistoric animals and has collected the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils in the world housed at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum. Given his role in their discovery and preparation Elliott is listed on the scientific papers of several new species including Australovenator, [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] Diamantinasaurus, [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] Savannasaurus, [21] [22] Wintonotitan, [23] [20] Ferrodraco [24] and Confractosuchus [25] as well as the 54 meter long Snake Creek tracksite. [26] His contributions to palaeontology include developing a thriving palaeotourism industry in regional Australia, which now accounts for a quarter of Queensland's leisure tourism. [27] [28] [29]

Australian Age of Dinosaurs

The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History was founded by David and Judy Elliott, who continue to expand its operations to attract more visitors to regional Australia. The Museum is located 24 kilometers southeast of Winton, and about 660 kilometres (410 mi) southwest of Townsville, on Australia's first International Dark-Sky Sanctuary. [30] It has been built in stages and has won several awards. [31] [32] [33] The Museum features Australia's most productive Fossil Preparation Laboratory, the Reception Centre and Collection Room, Dinosaur Canyon (featuring life-sized bronze dinosaur dioramas), the March of the Titanosaurs exhibition and the Gondwana Stars Observatory.

Awards and recognition

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titanosauria</span> Extinct clade of dinosaurs

Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, including genera from all seven continents. The titanosaurs were the last surviving group of long-necked sauropods, with taxa still thriving at the time of the extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous. This group includes some of the largest land animals known to have ever existed, such as Patagotitan—estimated at 37 m (121 ft) long with a weight of 69 tonnes —and the comparably-sized Argentinosaurus and Puertasaurus from the same region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nemegtosauridae</span> Extinct family of dinosaurs

Nemegtosauridae is a family of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs based on their diplodocid-like skulls. Only three species are known: Nemegtosaurus, Quaesitosaurus and possibly Tapuiasaurus, each from the Cretaceous.

<i>Asiatosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Asiatosaurus is an extinct genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur which lived during the Early Cretaceous in Mongolia and China. The type species is known only from teeth, making it difficult to rely on information until more specimens are found to expand our knowledge, and another species is known, also based on scant remains; both are now classified as nomina dubia.

<i>Austrosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Austrosaurus was an extinct genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Allaru Formation, from the early Cretaceous of Central-Western Queensland in Australia.

<i>Tendaguria</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Tendaguria is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Lindi Region, Tanzania.

<i>Pukyongosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Pukyongosaurus is a genus of titanosauriform dinosaur that lived in South Korea during the Early Cretaceous period. It may have been closely related to Euhelopus, and is known from a series of vertebrae in the neck and back. The characteristics that were originally used to distinguish this genus have been criticized as being either widespread or too poorly preserved to evaluate, rendering the genus an indeterminate nomen dubium among titanosauriforms. The 2022 study noted that Pukyongosaurus is probably a somphospondylan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithostrotia</span> Extinct clade of dinosaurs

Lithostrotia is a clade of derived titanosaur sauropods that lived during the Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous. The group was defined by Upchurch et al. in 2004 as the most recent common ancestor of Malawisaurus and Saltasaurus and all the descendants of that ancestor. Lithostrotia is derived from the Ancient Greek lithostros, meaning "inlaid with stones", referring to the fact that many known lithostrotians are preserved with osteoderms. However, osteoderms are not a distinguishing feature of the group, as the two noted by Unchurch et al. include caudal vertebrae with strongly concave front faces (procoely), although the farthest vertebrae are not procoelous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winton Formation</span> Geological formation in Australia

The Winton Formation is a Cretaceous geological formation in central-western Queensland, Australia. It is late Albian to early Turonian in age. The formation blankets large areas of central-western Queensland. It consists of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, siltstone and claystone. The sediments that make up these rocks represent the remnants of the river plains that filled the basin left by the Eromanga Sea - an inland sea that covered large parts of Queensland and central Australia at least four times during the Early Cretaceous. Great meandering rivers, forest pools and swamps, creeks, lakes and coastal estuaries all left behind different types of sediment.

<i>Australovenator</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Australovenator is a genus of megaraptoran theropod dinosaur from Cenomanian -age Winton Formation of Australia. It is known from partial cranial and postcranial remains which were described in 2009 by Scott Hocknull and colleagues, although additional descriptions and analyses continue to be published. It is the most complete predatory dinosaur discovered in Australia. It has been suggested that Australovenator is a sister taxon to Fukuiraptor, although some phylogenetic analyses find it to be a more derived member of the Megaraptora, possibly being part of the main Megaraptoridae family itself.

<i>Wintonotitan</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Wintonotitan is a genus of titanosauriform dinosaur from Cenomanian -age Winton Formation of Australia. It is known from partial postcranial remains.

<i>Diamantinasaurus</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Diamantinasaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod from Australia that lived during the early Late Cretaceous, about 94 million years ago. The type species of the genus is D. matildae, first described and named in 2009 by Scott Hocknull and colleagues based on fossil finds in the Winton Formation. Meaning "Diamantina lizard", the name is derived from the location of the nearby Diamantina River and the Greek word sauros, "lizard". The specific epithet is from the Australian song Waltzing Matilda, also the locality of the holotype and paratype. The known skeleton includes most of the forelimb, shoulder girdle, pelvis, hindlimb and ribs of the holotype, and one shoulder bone, a radius and some vertebrae of the paratype.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Age of Dinosaurs</span> Museum of Natural History in Winton, Queensland

Australian Age of Dinosaurs Ltd. (AAOD) is a nonprofit organization located in Winton, Queensland, founded by David Elliott and Judy Elliott in 2002. The organization’s activities include the operation of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, which holds annual dinosaur digs in the Winton Formation of Western Queensland and oversees the year-round operation of Australia's most productive dinosaur fossil preparation laboratory. Since 2005, the AAOD Museum has accumulated the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils in the world and holds the holotype specimens of Diamantinasaurus matildae, Savannasaurus elliottorum, Australovenator wintonensis, Australia's most complete theropod skeleton, Ferrodraco lentoni, the first pterosaur to be named from the Winton Formation, and Confractosuchus sauroktonos. The museum is open to the public daily from April to October and is open six days a week from November to March. The site of the museum was designated a dark-sky preserve, the first International Dark-Sky Sanctuary in Australia, in 2019.

<i>Savannasaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Savannasaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia. It contains one species, Savannasaurus elliottorum, named in 2016 by Stephen Poropat and colleagues. The holotype and only known specimen, originally nicknamed "Wade", is the most complete specimen of an Australian sauropod, and is held at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum. Dinosaurs known from contemporary rocks include its close relative Diamantinasaurus and the theropod Australovenator; associated teeth suggest that Australovenator may have fed on the holotype specimen.

Triunfosaurus is a genus of somphospondylan sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil. It contains a single species, T. leonardii, described by Carvalho et al. in 2017. As a genus, Triunfosaurus can be distinguished from all other titanosaurs by the unique proportions of its ischium. It was initially described as a basal titanosaur, making it the earliest basal titanosaur known; however, subsequent research questioned the identification of the taxon as a titanosaur, instead reassigning it to the Somphospondyli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colossosauria</span> Extinct clade of dinosaurs

Colossosauria is a clade of titanosaur sauropods from the latest Early Cretaceous through the Late Cretaceous of South America. The group was originally named by Bernardo González-Riga et al. in 2019 and defined as the "most inclusive clade containing Mendozasaurus neguyelap but not Saltasaurus loricatus or Epachthosaurus sciuttoi". The clade contains different taxa depending on the phylogenetic analysis used, in the defining paper the only subgroups were Rinconsauria and Lognkosauria, but alternate phylogenies published previously had also included various similar titanosaurs such as Aeolosaurus, Bonitasaura, Drusilasaura, Overosaurus and Quetecsaurus. The phylogenetic analysis of González-Riga et al. (2019) placed Colossosauria as sister taxa to Epachthosaurus, Pitekunsaurus and a larger clade including Saltasauridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamantinasauria</span> Clade of somphospondylan sauropod dinosaurs

Diamantinasauria is an extinct clade of somphospondylan titanosauriform sauropod dinosaurs with close affinities to the Titanosauria, known from the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) of South America and Australia. It was named by Poropat and colleagues in 2021, and contains four genera: Australotitan, Savannasaurus and Diamantinasaurus from the Winton Formation of Queensland, as well as Sarmientosaurus from the Bajo Barreal Formation of Patagonia. The existence of the clade indicates connectivity between Australia and South America via Antarctica during the Cretaceous period.

<i>Dzharatitanis</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Dzharatitanis is a genus of sauropod from the Bissekty Formation in Uzbekistan, dating to the Turonian age of the Late Cretaceous. The genus contains a single species, Dzharatitanis kingi, named after geologist Christopher King, who contributed to the Cretaceous geology of Asia. It is currently one of two known sauropods from the Bissekty Formation, alongside an indeterminate titanosaur. In its original publication it was considered to be a member of Rebbachisauridae, but later papers considered it to be a titanosaur.

<i>Australotitan</i> Extinct genus of sauropod dinosaurs

Australotitan is an extinct genus of possibly titanosaurian somphospondylan dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Winton Formation (Cenomanian–Turonian) of southern-central Queensland, Australia. The genus contains a single species, A. cooperensis, known from multiple partial skeletons. The genus Australotitan may be synonymous with Diamantinasaurus, a contemporary relative.

References

  1. 1 2 Burton-Joness, Joan (2009). Queenslanders all over. Gold Coast, Queensland: Bond University Press. p. 170,198–199. ISBN   9780980618709.
  2. "Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission". June 25, 2024.
  3. "Elliot, Australia's largest dinosaur". June 25, 2024.
  4. Cook, A.G., Bryan, S.E. & Draper, J.J. (2012). Post-orogenic Mesozoic basins and magmatism. Pp 515–575. In Jell, P.A. (ed.). Geology of Queensland. (Geological Survey of Queensland, Brisbane)
  5. "Our History". June 25, 2024.
  6. "Three new Australian dinosaur species found in Western Queensland". July 3, 2009.
  7. Hocknull, Scott A.; White, Matt A.; Tischler, Travis R.; Cook, Alex G.; Calleja, Naomi D.; Sloan, Trish; Elliott, David A. (2009). Sereno, Paul (ed.). "New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia". PLOS ONE. 4 (7): e6190. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.6190H. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006190 . PMC   2703565 . PMID   19584929.
  8. White, M. A.; Cook, A. G.; Hocknull, S. A.; Sloan, T.; Sinapius, G. H. K.; Elliott, D. A. (2012). Dodson, Peter (ed.). "New Forearm Elements Discovered of Holotype Specimen Australovenator wintonensis from Winton, Queensland, Australia". PLOS ONE. 7 (6): e39364. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...739364W. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039364 . PMC   3384666 . PMID   22761772.
  9. White, M. A.; Falkingham, P. L.; Cook, A. G.; Hocknull, S. A.; Elliott, D. A. (2013). "Morphological comparisons of metacarpal I for Australovenator wintonensis and Rapator ornitholestoides: Implications for their taxonomic relationships". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 37 (4): 435–441. Bibcode:2013Alch...37..435W. doi:10.1080/03115518.2013.770221. S2CID   82672110.
  10. White, Matt A.; Benson, Roger B. J.; Tischler, Travis R.; Hocknull, Scott A.; Cook, Alex G.; Barnes, David G.; Poropat, Stephen F.; Wooldridge, Sarah J.; Sloan, Trish (July 24, 2013). "New Australovenator Hind Limb Elements Pertaining to the Holotype Reveal the Most Complete Neovenatorid Leg". PLOS ONE. 8 (7): e68649. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...868649W. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068649 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3722220 . PMID   23894328.
  11. White, Matt A.; Bell, Phil R.; Cook, Alex G.; Barnes, David G.; Tischler, Travis R.; Bassam, Brant J.; Elliott, David A. (September 14, 2015). "Forearm Range of Motion in Australovenator wintonensis (Theropoda, Megaraptoridae)". PLOS ONE. 10 (9): e0137709. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1037709W. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137709 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   4569425 . PMID   26368529.
  12. White, Matt A.; Bell, Phil R.; Cook, Alex G.; Poropat, Stephen F.; Elliott, David A. (December 15, 2015). "The dentary of Australovenator wintonensis(Theropoda, Megaraptoridae); implications for megaraptorid dentition". PeerJ. 3: e1512. doi: 10.7717/peerj.1512 . ISSN   2167-8359. PMC   4690360 . PMID   26713256.
  13. White, Matt A.; Cook, Alex G.; Klinkhamer, Ada J.; Elliott, David A. (August 3, 2016). "The pes of Australovenator wintonensis(Theropoda: Megaraptoridae): analysis of the pedal range of motion and biological restoration". PeerJ. 4: e2312. doi: 10.7717/peerj.2312 . ISSN   2167-8359. PMC   4975041 . PMID   27547591.
  14. Hocknull, Scott A.; White, Matt A.; Tischler, Travis R.; Cook, Alex G.; Calleja, Naomi D.; Sloan, Trish; Elliott, David A. (2009). Sereno, Paul (ed.). "New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia". PLOS ONE. 4 (7): e6190. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.6190H. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006190 . PMC   2703565 . PMID   19584929.
  15. Poropat, S.F.; Upchurch, P.; Mannion, P.D.; Hocknull, S.A.; Kear, B.P.; Sloan, T.; Sinapius, G.H.K.; Elliot, D.A. (2014). "Revision of the sauropod dinosaur Diamantinasaurus matildae Hocknull et al. 2009 from the mid-Cretaceous of Australia: Implications for Gondwanan titanosauriform dispersal". Gondwana Research. 27 (3): 995–1033. doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2014.03.014 . hdl: 10044/1/27497 .
  16. Poropat, S.F.; Mannion, P.D.; Upchurch, P.; Hocknull, S.A.; Kear, B.P.; Kundrát, M.; Tischler, T.R.; Sloan, T.; Sinapius, G.H.K.; Elliott, J.A.; Elliott, D.A. (2016). "New Australian sauropods shed light on Cretaceous dinosaur palaeobiogeography". Scientific Reports. 6: 34467. Bibcode:2016NatSR...634467P. doi:10.1038/srep34467. PMC   5072287 . PMID   27763598.
  17. Poropat, Stephen F; Kundrát, Martin; Mannion, Philip D; Upchurch, Paul; Tischler, Travis R; Elliott, David A (January 20, 2021). "Second specimen of the Late Cretaceous Australian sauropod dinosaur Diamantinasaurus matildae provides new anatomical information on the skull and neck of early titanosaurs". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 192 (2): 610–674. doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa173 . ISSN   0024-4082.
  18. Rigby SL, Poropat SF, Mannion PD, Pentland AH, Sloan T, Rumbold SJ, Webster CB, Elliott DA (2022). "A juvenile Diamantinasaurus matildae (Dinosauria: Titanosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia, with implications for sauropod ontogeny". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 41 (6): e2047991. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2021.2047991 . S2CID   248187418.
  19. Poropat, S. F.; Mannion, P. D.; Rigby, S. L.; Duncan, R. J.; Pentland, A. H.; Bevitt, J. J.; Sloan, T.; Elliott, D. A. (2023). "A nearly complete skull of the sauropod dinosaur Diamantinasaurus matildae from the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Australia and implications for the early evolution of titanosaurs". Royal Society Open Science. 10 (4). 221618. Bibcode:2023RSOS...1021618P. doi: 10.1098/rsos.221618 . PMC   10090887 . PMID   37063988.
  20. 1 2 Beeston, S. L.; Poropat, S. F.; Mannion, P. D.; Pentland, A. H.; Enchelmaier, M. J.; Sloan, T.; Elliott, D. A. (2024). "Reappraisal of sauropod dinosaur diversity in the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia, through 3D digitisation and description of new specimens". PeerJ . 12. e17180. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17180 . PMC   11011616 . PMID   38618562.
  21. Poropat, S.F.; Mannion, P.D.; Upchurch, P.; Hocknull, S.A.; Kear, B.P.; Kundrát, M.; Tischler, T.R.; Sloan, T.; Sinapius, G.H.K.; Elliott, J.A.; Elliott, D.A. (2016). "New Australian sauropods shed light on Cretaceous dinosaur palaeobiogeography". Scientific Reports. 6: 34467. Bibcode:2016NatSR...634467P. doi:10.1038/srep34467. PMC   5072287 . PMID   27763598.
  22. Poropat, S.F.; Mannion, P.D.; Upchurch, P.; Tischler, T.R.; Sloan, T.; Sinapius, G.H.K.; Elliott, J.A.; Elliott, D.A. (2020). "Osteology of the Wide-Hipped Titanosaurian Sauropod Dinosaur Savannasaurus elliottorum from the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia" (PDF). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 40 (3): e1786836. doi:10.1080/02724634.2020.1786836. S2CID   224850234.
  23. Hocknull, Scott A.; White, Matt A.; Tischler, Travis R.; Cook, Alex G.; Calleja, Naomi D.; Sloan, Trish; Elliott, David A. (2009). Sereno, Paul (ed.). "New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia". PLOS ONE. 4 (7): e6190. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.6190H. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006190 . PMC   2703565 . PMID   19584929.
  24. Pentland, Adele H.; Poropat, Stephen F.; Tischler, Travis R.; Sloan, Trish; Elliott, Robert A.; Elliott, Harry A.; Elliott, Judy A.; Elliott, David A. (December 2019). "Ferrodraco lentoni gen. et sp. nov., a new ornithocheirid pterosaur from the Winton Formation (Cenomanian–lower Turonian) of Queensland, Australia". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 13454. Bibcode:2019NatSR...913454P. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-49789-4. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   6776501 . PMID   31582757.
  25. White, M.A.; Bell, P.R.; Campione, N.E.; Sansalone, G.; Brougham, T.; Bevitt, J.J.; Molnar, R.E.; Cook, A.G.; Wroe, S.; Elliott, D.A. (2022). "Abdominal contents reveal Cretaceous crocodyliforms ate dinosaurs". Gondwana Research. 106: 281–302. Bibcode:2022GondR.106..281W. doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2022.01.016 .
  26. Grounds, Ellie (June 17, 2021). "Dinosaur footprints reveal behaviour of prehistoric animals living near Winton 95 million years ago". ABC Western Qld.
  27. "Australian of the Year Awards". June 25, 2024.
  28. "Queenslanders shining bright at Australian of the Year Awards". January 25, 2024.
  29. "Tourists flock to paleo attractions in outback Queensland, with new discoveries added to dinosaur trail". ABC News. May 14, 2021.
  30. "The Jump-Up". May 22, 2019.
  31. "2022 Australian Street Art Awards: public art celebrates communities". February 16, 2022.
  32. "Australian Age of Dinosaurs honoured at museum awards". February 9, 2022.
  33. "Our Awards". June 25, 2024.
  34. "Queensland Museum Medal". June 25, 2025.
  35. "Winston Churchill Trust". July 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016.
  36. "Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division" (PDF). September 2, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 20, 2016.
  37. "Queen's Birthday honours: More than 50 Queenslanders receive awards". ABC News. June 9, 2015.
  38. "2019 winners". December 12, 2019.
  39. "Outback operators big winners at Queensland tourism awards". November 11, 2019.
  40. "2024 Australian of the Year Award recipients for Queensland announced". November 8, 2023.
  41. "Queenslanders shining bright at Australian of the Year Awards". January 25, 2024.