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Yuulong
is a small rural
locality in Victoria,
Australia, located
along the Great Ocean
Road in the state's
southwest. Yuulong
(part of the Otway
Ranges) is known for
its lush rainforests,
rugged coastline, and
rolling farmland that
offers breathtaking
views of the Southern
Ocean.
It
has a fascinating
geology and a
connection to
dinosaurs. The region
is part of a
sedimentary basin
formed during the
breakup of Gondwana
around 100–140
million years ago as
Australia started to
separate northward from
Antarctica (Early
Cretaceous period).
Yuulong
is a dinosaur fossil
hotspot. Fossils from
the Eumeralla Formation
(~105 million years
old) have revealed
polar dinosaurs that
lived in the region
when Australia was part
of Antarctica. These
dinosaurs lived in an
ancient polar
environment, meaning
they endured months of
darkness and cold
— a rarity in the
dinosaur fossil record.
The discoveries help
scientists understand
how dinosaurs adapted
to extreme climates.
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