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Amateur fossil hunters get outback dig call-up

By Gail Liston

A group of scientists is inviting amateur palaeontologists to join them on a dig next month at Alcoota Scientific Reserve, north-east of Alice Springs.

The annual fossil dig takes four weeks but Dr Adam Yates from the Museum of Central Australia says one weekend is set aside for the public to experience fossil hunting.

He says the site is about 10 million years old and has produced a diverse range of fossils.

"It preserves a fauna of large animals that were living in the area at that time," he said.

"So they were living in central Australia but central Australia was a lot wetter back then so there were a lot more sources of water.

"So we find things like turtles and crocodiles, giant birds and large browsing marsupials distantly related to modern wombats.

"You'll also have an opportunity to noodle for fossils in the spoil heaps from the excavations.

"There's often lots of scrapes and little bits of fossil that have been missed and we'll let the public loose on those spoil heaps so you can try your luck at fossil hunting."

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