Dinosaurs in the Outback

Gr 3–5—In this outdoorsy documentary, Dr. Kelly Strzepek guides viewers through a mix of sites and mini-interviews related to the recently discovered "Winton dinosaurs" of Queensland, Australia—including the first hard evidence of big dinos on the continent. The style of paleontology on display is a bit casual, as digging crews are composed of eager amateurs as well as trained scientists. (Because the area is covered in a thick layer of soil that must be removed to get to the fossil strata, the first tools employed are backhoes.) Highlights include a close-up demonstration of how tiny stone fragments are removed from fossil bone in the conservation lab with an air chisel and realistic CGI reconstructions of locally found dinosaur species either interacting (bloodlessly) in prehistoric landscapes or lumbering behind the narrator. Frequent vistas of scrubby outback and brief snatches of didgeridoo add regional flavor to a presentation that will leave viewers up-to-date on this remote area's dino discoveries as well as its geological prehistory.