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CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO

For thousands of years, Indigenous people of the Dampier Along most of the Coast dinosaur tracks occur in Peninsula and wider west Kimberley have had strong cultural Broome Sandstone, in the intertidal zone. Because of this DAMPIER PENINSULA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA connections with dinosaur tracks. Three-toed dinosaur tracks the best time to see most of the tracks is at low tide, when MANAGEMENT GROUP trace the journey of a Bugarrigarra (Dreamtime) creator- they are exposed. Sand along the Dinosaur Coast beaches being called Marala, also known as Emu man. is very mobile, so some tracks may be temporarily buried or new ones exposed. Each time you go tracking it is a journey The National Heritage listed coastline of the The song cycle that includes stories of Marala extends along of discovery. Dampier Peninsula preserves one of the length of the Dinosaur Coast from Bunginygun (Swan the most diverse assemblages of dinosaur The easiest places to fi nd tracks are: Point, Cape Leveque) to Wabana (Cape Bossut, near La tracks in the world. Grange) and then inland to the south-east, over a distance of approximately 450kms. Maralagun on Cable Beach – sand frequently covers this area

Minyirr (Gantheaume Point) – only at extremely DINOSAUR COAST low tides, rocks very slippery 130 MILLION YEARS AGO MANAGEMENT GROUP Yinara (Reddell Beach south) – north of Reddell Point, beach can be accessed via Kavite Road During the Early Period, Australia formed the 10 cm eastern peninsula of the fragmenting super-continent of (if the road is open). Gondwana. It was connected to eastern Antarctica and New Zealand, with a vast seaway covering much of present-day Entrance Point – abutting the car park and north of

Queensland and central Australia. the second boat ramp to Reddell Point. 10 cm 10 cm From mountains to the north rivers fl owed into the Canning Between Binggaja and Gabunyanya – east of the AU AU Basin, with the Dampier Peninsula forming part of a vast Crab Creek Road T-junction & also at GulbanwilaS R S R delta system. The climate was warm but seasonal, support- near the boat-launching ramp close to the OBroome C O C ing fern-dominated coastal marshes and swamp forests. Bird Observatory. Monkey-puzzle trees and podocarps were the only large N O N O When exploring for dinosaur tracks pleaseI take care – the I trees and the understorey was dominated by ferns and weathered and exposed rock layers break off easily. A A primitive cycads. The tracks have been around for 130 millionD years and we D S S Occasionally would emerge from the forest to want future generations to continue to enjoy them.

20 cm T cross the sandy tidal fl ats or abandoned river channels, T leaving tracks that would persist for millions of years. Do not step on edges or drive over the tracks. Tracks of more than 20 different types of Do not remove sand from tracks. M dinosaurs occur in the 130 million year oldM [email protected] The rocks are very slippery and sharp – wear proper rocks of the Broome Sandstone, at tracksites footwear at all times. A scattered over 100km of coastline. A If you see any suspicious activity, suchN as people digging N www.dinosaurcoast.org.au or trying to remove tracks, immediately ring the Dinosaur A SAU R A O C Coast Management Group on 0400 769 019 and Broome N O I A D G S G

Police on 9194 0200. T

www.facebook.com/ M A E N E A Dinosaur-Coast-Management-Group P G P E M P M E U M E U N T G R O E U N T G R O N T G R O THE 20+ DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRACKS CAN BE ASSIGNED TO 4 MAIN GROUPS OF DINOSAURS

1 m

THEROPODS SAUROPODS THYREOPHORANS ORNITHOPODS

front foot front foot

back foot back foot 10 cm

2010 cmcm back foot 10 cm 1020 cmcm

10 cm 1020 cmcm Medium-sized bipedal carnivorous Small to medium-sized bipedal predatory dinosaurs such as Allosaurus, back foot such as , and in Australia, Megalosaurus and, in Australia, 2010 cm Leaellynasaura and . Australovenator. Medium-sized quadrupedal herbivores with Hip heights of Hip heights of Gigantic long-necked quadrupedal armoured plates and spikes such as 0.5 – 2.5m and estimated lengths 1.3 – 2m and estimated lengths herbivores such as Apatosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus and, of 2 - 12m. of 3.5 - 7m. Brachiosaurus, and in in Australia, Kunbarrasaurus. Australia, Diamantinasaurus. Track length x 4 or 5 = hip height Track length x 4 = hip height Hip heights of (rest of body & neck extends beyond this) (rest of body & neck extends beyond this) Hip heights of 2 – 5.5m and lengths 0.7 – 3m and estimated lengths of 10.5 - 28m of 3.5 - 8.5m Some of these tracks are named Megalosauropus broomensis, meaning ‘Big Track length x 3.1 = hip height Track width x 6 = hip height SAU R O C N O (rest of body & neck extends beyond this) (rest of body & neck extends beyond this) I lizard-foot of Broome’ A D

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