Prehistoric dinosaur Story

Audio Transcript: 

Long ago in prehistoric times, about **120 million years ago**, Queensland was a very different place.

There were no roads.

There were no cars.

There were no houses or people.

Instead, there were forests filled with giant ferns, tall trees and winding rivers.

And there were dinosaurs! (insert dinosaur calls)

One of these dinosaurs was called **Minmi Paravertebra **.

Minmi was a type of ankylosaur- a small dinosaur with a big job—to stay safe!

Its body was covered in hard bony armour, like a suit of dinosaur protection. The armour covered its back, neck and even its tummy.

Minmi walked on four strong legs and spent most of its day looking for food.

But Minmi did not eat meat.

Minmi ate plants.

Every day, Minmi wandered through the forest searching for tasty plants. It munched on soft ferns, nibbled on seeds and chewed young leaves growing close to the ground.

There were lots of delicious plants to choose from.

Tall conifer trees reached high into the sky. 

Ancient cycads, which looked a little like palm trees, grew in sunny places.

Ferns covered the forest floor.

Horsetails grew beside streams and ponds.

To Minmi, it was one giant salad bar!

While Minmi was busy eating, it always kept an eye out for danger.

Nearby lived a fierce hunter called **Australovenator**. (insert T-rex like roar)

Australovenator had sharp claws and sharp teeth.

If Minmi heard a strange rustle in the bushes, it would hurry away as fast as its little legs could carry it.

Luckily, its strong armour helped protect it.

Not far away lived some of the biggest dinosaurs Australia has ever known.

There was **Australotitan**, a giant dinosaur with a very long neck. (insert brontosaurus like sound)

Australotitan was so tall that it could reach leaves high in the treetops.

Another giant dinosaur was **Diamantinasaurus** (insert different brontosaurus like sound)

These enormous plant-eaters spent their days walking slowly across the land, eating leaves, ferns and branches.

Even though they were huge, they were gentle plant-eaters just like Minmi.

Day after day, the dinosaurs explored the forests, crossed rivers, searched for food and looked after their young.

Birds and flying reptiles soared overhead.

Insects buzzed through the plants.

The forests were full of life.

Then, millions and millions of years later, the dinosaurs disappeared.

But their bones stayed hidden in the ground, waiting to be discovered.

Today, scientists can learn about dinosaurs by studying their fossils.

And some of the plants growing in botanic gardens today have ancient relatives that grew when Minmi was alive.

So next time you see a fern, a cycad or a tall conifer tree, imagine Minmi wandering past, looking for its next tasty snack.

**While you wander the gardens today see if you can you spot a plant that Minmi might have eaten**