Insect Investigators
Insect Investigators – Scientists and schools, coming together to discover, document and describe Australia’s biodiversity. Continue reading Insect Investigators
Category: New species
Museum cold case uncovers new species of sea scorpion
A fossil ‘cold case’ in Queensland Museum’s geosciences collection has led to the description of a new species of sea scorpion (eurypterid), Woodwardopterus freemanorum, which is not only the last known one of its kind in the world, but the first fossil evidence of sea scorpions in Queensland. The eurypterid was initially brought to the attention of the museum in 2013, having been discovered in … Continue reading Museum cold case uncovers new species of sea scorpion
Scientists shell shocked at rare new species
A donation of an extensive and scientifically important shell collection to Queensland Museum has led to the discovery of a new species of mollusc by a museum curator. Amoria thorae, a new species of the carnivorous volute family of marine snails, was named in honour of long-time Brisbane resident Mrs Thora Whitehead, whose collection was recently donated to the museum. I knew of a possible … Continue reading Scientists shell shocked at rare new species
Scientists strike gold with five new species of golden trapdoor spiders
Queensland Museum scientists have described five new species of golden trapdoor spiders from south-eastern Queensland. From being found in the inner-city to the bayside suburb of Burbank and further afield to the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast hinterlands, the new spiders were a challenge to uncover. Meet the new species! NAME: Euoplos regalis FOUND: Mount Glorious and Mount Nebo areas. Euoplos regalis is one of the biggest … Continue reading Scientists strike gold with five new species of golden trapdoor spiders
Meet Australotitan, Australia’s largest dinosaur!
By Rochelle Lawrence, Senior Research Assistant, and Scott Hocknull, Senior Curator, Geosciences, Queensland Museum It is time to meet Australotitan cooperensis, a new species of giant sauropod from Eromanga in southwest Queensland. Australotitan, the ‘Southern Titan of the Cooper’, named from where it was found, has been scientifically described by palaeontologists and staff at Queensland Museum and the Eromanga Natural History Museum. The fossilised skeleton … Continue reading Meet Australotitan, Australia’s largest dinosaur!
Sweet new discovery – a new species of chocolate frog
Move over Freddo, there is a new chocolate frog in town… meet Litoria mira, a new frog species that has been recently described by Queensland Museum scientists. Compared to other tree frogs, known for their green skin, Litoria mira is brown and was given the nickname chocolate frog because of its colouring. Lead author, Dr Paul Oliver who is a joint appointment with Queensland Museum … Continue reading Sweet new discovery – a new species of chocolate frog
Oh Snap! A new turtle has been described
It’s a case of a mistaken identity for a population of snapping turtles in northwestern Queensland which have now been officially identified as a new species thanks to the help of Queensland Museum scientists. The freshwater turtle, Elseya oneiros, commonly known as the Gulf Snapping Turtle, lives in deep water pools in the Nicholson and Gregory Rivers that flow into the Gulf of Carpentaria. Until … Continue reading Oh Snap! A new turtle has been described
Along Came A Spider and Snail, inspired by the Irwins
In commemoration of Steve Irwin Day (November 15), Queensland Museum reflects on the species they’ve named in honour of the Wildlife Warriors. From a striking new species of snail, to a discovery of miniscule arachnid proportions, we’re admiring the Irwin legacy and the creatures they inspire. At a Snail’s Pace 2009 sparked the start of the Irwin tribute, as a new species and genus of … Continue reading Along Came A Spider and Snail, inspired by the Irwins
New species: velvet gecko discovered on one of Australia’s northern islands
Scientists from Queensland Museum, Griffith University, University of Melbourne and the Northern Territory Government have described a colourful new velvet gecko from Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory. This species only occurs on Groote, Australia’s third largest offshore island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Groote Eylandt Velvet Gecko, Oedura nesos, is a large and colourful species with white bands and yellow spots that lives … Continue reading New species: velvet gecko discovered on one of Australia’s northern islands
Discovering the world’s largest kangaroo – Part 2: In the lab
By Rochelle Lawrence, Palaeontological Research Assistant, and Scott Hocknull, Senior Curator, Geosciences, Queensland Museum The giant kangaroo tibia (shinbone) found at the megafauna fossil sites of South Walker Creek, travelled safely back to the Queensland Museum’s Geosciences collection. The specimen is treated like evidence for a case (fossil evidence!) and is processed through a series of stages from field collection (Part 1) and preparation, to … Continue reading Discovering the world’s largest kangaroo – Part 2: In the lab
Discovering the world’s largest kangaroo- Part 1: In the field
By Rochelle Lawrence, Palaeontological Research Assistant, and Scott Hocknull, Senior Curator, Geosciences, Queensland Museum As the weather begins to cool, the ‘dig’ season starts for us (palaeontologists) as we venture off along the coast and into the outback heart of Queensland. Over the last ten years we have been investigating a series of fossil sites at South Walker Creek located near the town of Nebo, … Continue reading Discovering the world’s largest kangaroo- Part 1: In the field
A Crime scene of the past – investigating tropical ice age megafauna
By Rochelle Lawrence, Palaeontological Research Assistant, and Scott Hocknull, Senior Curator, Geosciences, Queensland Museum In 2008, an extraordinary discovery was made at South Walker Creek, located near the town of Nebo, west of Mackay in Queensland, Australia. Traditional owners of the area, the Barada Barna people, were conducting a cultural heritage survey for the South Walker Creek Mine when they came across some interesting bones. … Continue reading A Crime scene of the past – investigating tropical ice age megafauna
What are megafauna?
By Rochelle Lawrence, Palaeontological Research Assistant, and Scott Hocknull, Senior Curator, Geosciences, Queensland Museum. Megafauna are giant animals usually weighing over 44 kilograms (kg). Most megafauna are now extinct (no longer exist) and were closely related to living species of animals we see today. You have probably heard of the more commonly known megafauna species, like the saber-toothed cat and woolly mammoth from North America. … Continue reading What are megafauna?
Queensland Museum’s Top 10 New Species of the Decade
Over the last decade our biodiversity team have been busy describing 1,171 new species. Here’s the top 10 species described by Queensland Museum scientists from 2010 – 2019. Desis bobmarleyi Desis bobmarleyi is a small spider with a 6mm long body and long hair like his namesake It uses this long hair on its legs and abdomen to create an air bubble around its middle that enables … Continue reading Queensland Museum’s Top 10 New Species of the Decade
Stunning new spiders jump into our hearts
Queensland Museum scientists have discovered five new jumping spider species. Have you ever seen a more adorable spider? These cute and colourful jumping spiders are changing the reputation of arachnids around the world. Queensland Museum arachnologist, Dr Barbara Baehr, along with colleagues Joseph Schubert from Monash University, and Dr Danilo Harms from University of Hamburg recently described the new Australian species which feature vibrant colours … Continue reading Stunning new spiders jump into our hearts
New Species of Skink
Did you know Skinks are the largest and most diverse family of lizards and range in size from as small as 22 millimetres right up to the common Blue-tongue up to around 320 millimetres? Queensland Museum scientists have described three new species of skinks found in a small pocket of land in North Queensland. The three new species are Lerista anyara, Lerista alia and Lerista … Continue reading New Species of Skink
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