Was that a dinosaur?

If you thought you saw a dinosaur on the back of a ute recently, you probably did!
Curator at Kronosaurus Korner Paul Stumkat has completed the reconstruction of the Richmond pliosaur, a project he worked on for over a year at his studio in Killarney.
The pliosaur then travelled for 2000kms atop Paul’s ute to its new home at Richmond’s fossil museum.
The palaeo reconstruction has involved intense study of the Richmond pliosaur skeleton which is currently under study at the Queensland Museum in Brisbane.
Mr Stumkat said it is the finest example of its kind anywhere in the world.
“Many of the creature’s injuries have been incorporated into the reconstruction, which demonstrates what a dangerous life a pliosaur led in Queensland’s Cretaceous seas 100 million years ago (noted by wounds possibly caused by bite marks),” he said.
“Many large predators swam this inland sea, including the largest recorded Kronosaurusqueenslandicus,
a marine pliosaur up to 15m long.
“A life-size model can be viewed outside the museum as you drive through Richmond.”
Mr Stumkat said a complex reconstruction of this nature has involved making detailed measurements, studies of comparative fauna, drawing and model making.
“The life-size sculpture will hang in a new gallery were many of Richmond’s important scientific fossils will be displayed,” he said.
“This includes Australia’s largest fossil fish ‘Wandah’, a whopping three metre long, minmi the armour dinosaur and Australia’s most complete dinosaur, pterosaurs fossils and a sauropod leg of a titanosaur dinosaur.”
The sculpture will be completed and hung in the new gallery in time for the 2012 Cannington Outback Festival from May 4 to 7.