PREVIEW

Amazing 'Nearly Complete' Flat-Faced Kangaroo Skeleton Recovered From Australian Cave. Scientists in Australia have managed to retrieve a near-complete skeleton of the extinct short-faced kangaroo. The Simosthenurus occidentalis skeleton was found deep within Nightshade Cave on Gunaikurnai Country near Buchan, East Gippsland. This extraordinary 50,000-year-old discovery is one of the most complete fossils ever found in Australia. At 71% complete with 150 bones and a near-complete skull, it is the most complete fossil skeleton ever discovered in a Victorian cave. The fossil was collected by a team who spent 58 hours underground to retrieve it safely. “Fossils of this quality and completeness are extremely rare in Australia. This skeleton has lain in a pitch-black cave for 50,000 years, and it’s been a privilege to bring it back to the light”. The fossil was first sighted in 2011 by Buchan local Joshua Van Dyk. A return visit over a decade later, Ziegler saw that its condition had begun to degrade and began work to safely retrieve and conserve it. The Simosthenurus occidentalis fossil will be on public display in the Research Institute Gallery at Melbourne Museum from 24 June 2024.