On the first dinosaur tooth reported from Australia (Theropoda: Megaraptoridae)

The first published report of a dinosaur tooth from Australia was made in 1910 by Arthur Smith Woodward, who wrote that a 'megalosaurian' tooth had been found at Lightning Ridge, New South Wales. However, despite the fact that this was the first dinosaur tooth found in Australia (and the only one prior to 1963), this specimen was not, and has never been, formally described. Herein, we describe this opalized theropod tooth, which almost certainly derives from the Griman Creek Formation (Upper Cretaceous; lower to mid-Cenomanian). Despite its relatively poor preservation, several morphological features are consistent with attribution to Megaraptoridae. Smith Woodward's theropod tooth can now be recognized as one of the first megaraptorid fossils found worldwide. Furthermore, it reinforces the proposal that megaraptorids were an important component of mid-Cretaceous faunas in eastern Australia.

Automated summary

The first published report of a dinosaur tooth in Australia was made in 1910, but it was never formally described. This study describes the opalized theropod tooth found in Lightning Ridge and suggests it belongs to the Megaraptoridae family. This finding highlights the importance of megaraptorids in the mid-Cretaceous fauna of eastern Australia.