Between 122 and 108 million years ago, the Australian landmass was much farther south than today. Victoria was positioned within the Antarctic Circle, separated from Tasmania by a vast rift valley rather than open sea.

The study, led by the University of Liverpool, analyzed a fossilized hip bone from a Edmontosaurus using “advanced mass spectrometry and other analytical techniques.” Those techniques, including protein sequencing, led to the discovery of bone collagen still remaining, despite fossilization.

Fossils of the world’s oldest megaraptorid and the first-ever carcharodontosaurs in Australia have been discovered, completely altering the known predator hierarchy of the Cretaceous era. These finds suggest that,