The skeleton of Kunbarrasaurus was discovered in 1989 Photo: University of Queensland
Scientists have discovered a new species of dinosaur that roamed around Australia – a heavily-armoured sheep-sized creature with a parrot-like beak.
The dinosaur, named Kunbarrasaurus, was identified following a 3D construction of the creature, whose remains were dug up in the outback in 1989.
The skeleton was one of the most complete set of dinosaur remains found in Australia and one of the world’s best-preserved fossils of an ankylosaur, a four-legged, herbivorous creature which had bones in its skin and was closely related to stegosaurs.

The skeleton was one of the most complete set of dinosaur remains found in Australia  Photo: University of Queensland
Scientists initially thought the dinosaur was the same as the other known Australian species of ankylosaur but a 3D reconstruction of its brain, inner ear and nasal cavities showed that it was a distinct, more primitive specimen.
“The CT reconstruction revealed that Kunbarrasaurus had a more complicated airway than other dinosaurs, but less so than ankylosaurs from the northern hemisphere,” said Professor Lawrence Witmer from Ohio University.
“The inner ear is proportionately enormous and unlike anything we have seen before in a dinosaur. It looks more like the inner ear of a Tuatara or a turtle. Exactly what the consequences of this are we are still unsure.”

The skeleton was found in the shire of Richmond in north-east Australia and is on display at the Queensland Museum.
Dr Steve Salisbury, from the University of Queensland, said the dinosaur has different nasal passages to those found in larger ankylosaurs found in North America and Asia.
“It appears to represent an early, less heavily armoured member of the group, close to the point at which the ankylosaurs diverged from the other main lineage of armoured dinosaurs, the stegosaurs,” he said.
The research has been published in the journal PeerJ.