WorldWide Drilling Resource

29 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® OCTOBER 2015 Have You Heard About the Atlascopcosaurus? Adapted from Information by Atlas Copco At an estimated 6-13 feet long, the Atlascopcosaurus loadsi belonged to the Hypsilophodontidae family and lived 100- 120 million years ago. The specific name loadsi refers to Bill Loads, Atlas Copco's manager in Victoria, Australia, who made the decision to support the archaeological research of the project. Dinosaur Cove, an area rich in fossils, is on the southeast coast of Australia, close to Victoria. Dr. Thomas H. Rich from the Museum of Victoria and Patricia Vickers-Rich from Monash University led research projects there for ten years. During his first visit to the area in 1980, Dr. Rich and two colleagues discovered fragments of rock-embedded bone. Four years later, a group made up of hundreds of student volunteers, paleontology scientists, and miners began excavations. Atlas Copco was among those involved and, over the next few years, they contributed equipment and expert assistance to the project. The fossils were embedded in layers of sand, mud, and clay, which over a period of more than one hundred million years, had been pressed together into hard rock. The scientists often worked in dark, narrow tunnels, which at times were muddy and slippery. Work was complicated by the excavation site being close to a steep cliff that dropped down to the sea. In conducting excavations, the research group's equipment included Atlas Copco rock drills of various sizes, pneumatic tools, and compressors. Dr. Rich said he was grateful for the support Atlas Copco provided and impressed with the reliability of the equipment. Not every company has a dinosaur species named after it, but Atlas Copco was honored for its support of the project with the Atlascopcosaurus loadsi. The excavations at Dinosaur Cove led to another important discovery. In 2009, Dr. Rich permitted a few more experienced paleontologists to study a portion of the excavated fossils, and they were able to identify which dinosaurs they belonged to. It was discovered the shape from one of the bones belonged to a type of tyrannosaurus. This discovery filled a gap in the tyrannosaurus' evolutionary history, and disproved previous theories about this type of dinosaur having only existed in the Northern Hemisphere. The new discovery showed the tyrannosaurus had been a global species, however, it only developed into an enormous flesh eater north of the equator. The Atlascopcosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur during the early Cretaceous Period. Congratulat ions to: Ed I lsley Thet ford Ct r , VT Winner for September! Time for a Little Fun! September Puzzle Solution: Drilling Supply & Mfg. Center Rock, Inc. Can you identify which ads in this issue these two photos came from? Win a prize! Send your completed puzzle to: WWDR PO Box 660 Bonifay, FL 32425 or fax to: 850-547-0329 _______________ _______________