the temple of nim newsletter - september 2010

7/31/2019 The Temple of Nim Newsletter - September 2010

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The Temple of NimVol. 1, Issue No 8

September 2010.

INSIDE:

RECENT DINOSAURFOSSIL FOOTPRINT FINDS ON NARROW NECKPLATEAU,KATOOMBANSW. TAKE 5 MAGAZINEAUSSIE MONSTER OF THE DEEP.


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Temple of Nim Newsletter September, 2010.

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Blue Mountains UFO Research Club. The Club meetings are held on the third Saturday of the month, at

the Gilroy residence, 12 Kamillaroi Road, South Katoomba, from 2pm onwards.

We are situated on the corner of Kamillaroi Road and Ficus Street, and as we always say, park in Ficus Streetwhere there is safer parking.

RECENT DINOSAURFOSSIL FOOTPRINT FINDS ONNARROW NECKPLATEAU,KATOOMBA,NSW.

By Rex Gilroy

Copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The Blue Mountains has in recent years begun revealing not only mineralised bone remains, but also the fossilfeet impressions of a number of known, and unknown dinosaur species of the Cretaceous period [66-144million years BP].

Back in the early 1970s together with a geologist friend from Blackheath, I uncovered a number ofvery small to large Theropod [ie bipedal] dinosaur species. One large type of tracks found at differentlocations across the Blue Mountains are now joined by other specimens in the latest finds, to support mycontention that this district was once inhabited by one or more species of carnosaur [ie Tyrranosaurid taxon].

The Blackheath area continues to reveal fossil tracks while others have been uncovered in theGlenbrook, Wentworth Falls, Katoomba and Kanangra areas.

My latest discoveries consist of [at present] three series of feet impressions found within a few days.Happily, their remote, isolated locations will protect them from vandalism.

The latest finds began on the afternoon of Thursday 19th August when, while exploring a clifftop Icame across the weathering impressions of a number of massive to very small, three-toed feet impressions,embedded in an ironstone flat.

Heavy winds did not prevent me from returning here the next afternoon to record and photographthem. Despite gale-force winds I drew and measured each specimen and the varying distances between eachtrack, eleven in all, made by reptiles moving from north to south over an area of 10.2 metres.

Six tracks, the smallest of this series, were probably those of one or more Coelurosaurs, fast-movinglittle bipeds that reached 1 metre or so in length. These mixed in with those of two other distinct species, forsix other tracks belonged to a single monstrous carnosaur, who by the feet impression measurements suggesta monster of about 12 metres in length. Three other tracks, seemingly made by another, smaller carnosaur donot compare with any others so far discovered by me and I have given them the prospective nameKatoombasaurus. His feet measurements could suggest a reptile of up to 10 metes in length.

The reader can compare the size measurements in the photos accompanying this article. The oftenbad weathering of the fossils forced me to outline them all in chalk for photographic purposes and as they

were made in mud before being covered by a volcanic ash deposit, a certain amount of distortion must beexpected.

The tracks at this first site were all casual, ie no signs of the carnosaurs attacking the smallerCoelurosaurids. It is likely that the tracks were made at different times over a day or so.

Rex and Hea th e r G i l r oy , Aus t ra l i a s t op UFOand Unexp la in ed Mys t e r i e s Re s ea r c h t eam.

Pho to c op y r i gh t Rex Gi l r oy 2004 .


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There remains a single, as yet unidentified Theropod track, the southernmost of the trackwayspecimens. Thus there are four Theropod dinosaur species represented at this site and perhaps more mightyet turn up hereabouts, presently covered by debris.

*****Wild winds still persisted on the afternoon of Tuesday 31st August when I chanced upon a clifftop to

photograph scenery. Looking down at my feet I beheld first one, and then a secondTheropod track and four mystery small indentations in the solid rock. I dashed home to get the necessary

equipment and returned to draw, measure, chalk in and photograph these tracks, awkwardly embedded into asloping clifftop shoal. One was a small Coelurosaur foot, the other a much larger impression of some other

Theropod dinosaur - both were embedded on an south to north axis.The evidence, once again, was that these casual impressions had been made in a mudflat deposit later

preserved by a now long-vanished volcanic ash deposit of some bygone eruption.I felt exceptionally lucky at having discovered this second set of dinosaur tracks. Little did I know that

a third find awaited me, when I returned here on Thursday 2nd September. This latest find was discovered ona lower section of the same clifftop and hidden by patchy scrub.

These tracks consisted of six specimens, situated upon an ironstone shoal. The tracks were embeddedin mud by reptiles moving from north to south in a casual manner, otherwise we should expect to see thetracks frontal portions deeper than the rest of the feet, the toes being dug into the ground as in a running

motion. The shoal has cracked in two with age, with four tracks on the east section and two on the narrowwest section of rock.

All were soon identified by me as further examples of Coelurosaurs, a Carnosaur andThese three dinosaur trackway discoveries are a major find and show that the Narrow Neck Plateau

would have been a much broader landmass on the edge of vast Cretaceous waterways connected to theocean; a land of volcanoes perpetually in eruption, with forestlands here and elsewhere inhabited by ferociouscarnosaurs and other Theropod dinosaurs as well as other species, while the vast tracts of water wereinhabited by plesiosaurs and kronosaurs [as known from fossil evidence], and Pterosuars would surely have

watched from above as they soared over the primeval landmass that would in time become the BlueMountains as we today know them.

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Heather Gilroy measuring the fossil tracks ofbipedal [ie Theropod] dinosaurs embedded inCretaceous mudstone on the Flinders River

near Richmond, Queensland in August 1993.

Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

Rex Gilroy and Greg Foster discovered this massiveCarnosaur [Tyrannosaurus taxon] at Kuringai NationalPark in Sydneys north on Wednesday 5thMay 2010. It

measures 1.3 metres long by 1.82metres wide across the outertoes by 73cm across the centre of the foot in width and 23cmwide a the heel. It is up to 25cm in depth in the solid rock.Its maker is estimated to have been 12 metres in length by

perhaps 7 to 10 tonnes in weight.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.


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The identity of the mystery Carnosaur tracks found atKatoombas Narrow Neck Plateau by Rex Gilroy

remains speculative, but it is likely the tracks were madeby a Tyrannosaurus relative if not actual Tyrannosaurus,

although this species has yet to be excavated in Australia.Tyrannosaurus rex as shown here, was the largest [12metres long] carnivorous dinosaur know to have walkedthe earth in the Cretaceous period, around 70-65 million

years ago.Sketch copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.


Coelurosaurus, a contemporary Theropodspecies with Tyrannosaurus. This small

bidpedal carnivore grew up to 1 metre in length.Sketch copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.


This illustration from Dinosaurs of Australia [1957] by John Long, depicts a Tyranosaurid speciesattacking Coelurosaurs. Such a scene would have been commonplace on the Blue Mountains and elsewhere

in Australia 65 million and more years ago.


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On Thursday 14th August 2008 Rex Gilroy and GregFoster [seen here] discovered a dinosaur trackway, consistingof three large impressions, at a Nepean River region site. Thetracks belonged to a Carnosaur species striding from north tosouth across a Cretaceous mudflat. Note one of the tracks at

bottom of photoPhoto copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The dinosaur track beside ruler. It measures 43cm long by34cm wide across the toes, the heel is 23cm wide. The

impression is 2.5cm deep.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

Photo shows two of the tracks separated by water. Notefossil track top of picture beside the ruler.



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The north end of the north to south fossil dinosaurtrackway, here featuring four impressions. The track

bottom left like that top right was made by aCoelurosaurus. The giant incomplete impression bottomright is that of a Carnosaur [Tyrannosaurid taxon], as

is the smaller incomplete specimen top left.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The small Coelurosaurus track to left of the giant Carnosaurimpression. It measures 26cm long by 29cm wide across the toes and

is 1cm deep in the rock. Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The incomplete giant Carnosuar impression, originally distorted in mud.What remains of it measured 54cm long by 54cm wide across the foot.

It is embedded 3cm deep in the rock.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

Narrow Neck Plateau Dinosaur Footprints - Series 1.

The small Coelurosaurus track above the Carnosaurimpression. Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The small Coelurosaurus track, close-up. It measures 24cmlong by 14cm wide across the toes and is embedded 1cm deep in

the rock.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.


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The smaller Carnosaur incomplete track. It measures 53cm longby 54cm wide across the toes and is 2cm deep in the rock.


2.9 metres south of the first four tracks are these two impressions.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The tracks close-up. That on the right is aCoelurosaurid impression measuring 20cm long by14cm wide across the toes and 1cm deep. The left

impression is believed to be that of a youngCarnosaur, measuring 35cm long by 46cm wide

across the toes. It is 2cm in depth.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

1.5 metres south and separated 38cm apart are these tracksof a large Carnosaur [right] and Coelurosaurid.


The large Carnosaur impression measures79cm long by 52cm wide across the toes. It

is 5cm deep in the rock.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The Coelurosaurus to its left measures 38cm long by 30.5cm wideand is 2cm deep. Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.


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82cm further south lie two tracks of a massive Carnosaur,and 5cm to its left that of a probable Coelurosaurus size

distorted impression. The three largest Carnosaurimpressions were probably made by the same individual

allowing for slight size distortions. The Carnosaur track is82cm long by 52cm wide across the toes and 4cm deep.

The probably Coelurosaurus impression is 38cm long by40cm wide across the toes and 4cm deep in the rock.

Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010. 90cm south of the Carnosaur track lies a mysteryimpression. Although its shape appears Coelurosaurid, it

is much larger. It remains for the present an unknownTheropod specimen. Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The unknown Theropod track. Itmeasures 57cm long by 36cm wide across

the toes and is 3cm deep.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

Narrow Neck Plateau DinosaurFootprints Series 2.

That at the top of picture is a Coalurosaur impression,

that at the bottom a Canosaur. The mysteryindentations could be odd toe impressions. The two feetimpressions are on a south to north axis.



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The Coelurosaur track measures 17cm long by 16cm wide across thetoes. It is embedded 2.5cm deep in the rock.


The Carnosaur track is 40cm in length by 45.5cm width across thetoes and is 4cm in depth. Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

Narrow Neck Plateau Dinosaur Footprints - Series 3.

Situated on a lower section of the same clifftop as thesecond series of tracks, the third series consists of sixspecimens, four of which are situated on a large slabof ironstone, the other two upon a broken off section

to left of picture.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

A view looking west showing the situation ofthe tracks, which lie on an north to south

direction.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.


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The first four specimens. That top left of picture is aCoelurosaurus track with a Katoombasaurus impression

below it. The top right impression is that of a largeCarnosaur as is the track beneath it.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The Coelurosaurus track measures 25cm long by 20.5cm wideacross the toes and is 5cm in depth.


The large Carnosaur track measures69cm long by 56cm wide across the toes,with a heel 36cm wide. The depth is 12

cm. Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The smaller Carnosaur track measures 54cm long by 48cmwide across the toes by 9cm deep.


The smaller Carnosaur track is 56cm from the broken narrow section of rockcontaining the last two feet impressions.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.The Katoombasaurus track situated to the left of the smaller

Carnosaur impression. It measures 31cm long by 23.5cmwide across the toes with a depth of 9cm.Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.


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A close-up of the last two impressions. That at the top is a Coelurosauruswith a Katoombasaurus beneath. Photo copyright Rex Gilroy 2010.

The Coelurosaurus track is 24.5cm long by 16cm wideacross the toes, being 5cm deep.


The katoombasaurus track measures 40cm long by28cm wide across the toes, with a depth of 4cm.



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Please Note

Our next meeting will be held on Sunday 16th October, 2010same time, same place 12 Kamillaroi Road, Katoomba.

Our previous meeting was a huge success and we look forward to seeing you at our next one.There should be some good Skywatches ahead of us up here at Katoomba weather permitting.

`Meanwhile, there is a lot happening up there at present so -

Until our next meeting Watch the Skies!Rex and HeatherRex and HeatherRex and HeatherRex and Heather

the temple of nim newsletter - september 2010

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