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Australian Museum undertakes research into unique opalised fossil

One of the most fantastic opalized fossils ever to be found in Australia has been made available to the Australian Museum for research.

The fossil, an upper jaw from the rare and poorly-known animal Killikodon – an egg-laying mammal from the age of the dinosaurs – is the only known specimen of its type. It has been made available to the Australian Museum by Andrew Cody of Cody Opals.

Professor Michael Archer, Director of the Australian Museum, said, "This specimen comes from a creature that may have been a prehistoric ‘Eve’ to the strangest mammals still living on this planet—the egg-laying monotremes which include platypuses and echidnas.

"The availability of the specimen for Museum research is an extraordinary demonstration of the collaboration between private enterprise and the Australian Museum."

Kollikodon is known informally as ‘Hotcrossbunidon’ because its molar teeth have the remarkable shape of hot-cross Easter buns.

More than 10 years ago the first evidence of Kollikodon was found at Lightning Ridge with the discovery of a beautifully preserved opalised lower jaw with molars intact. Opalised bones can be extremely important because the cell by cell replacement process means that not only is the specimen an exact cast, but it also preserves the tiny capillaries, nerve channels, and internal structure of the bones, from which scientists can derive so much information about the animal, including sensory abilities. Very little is known about the earliest mammals and a single lower jaw is significant.

Many years later and 30 kilometres away the Kollikodon upper jawbone was discovered. While this has to be a different individual, the molars fitted together perfectly as though they had been reunited after 100 million years! The maxilla (upper jaw) contains much more valuable information and having the matching pair means this discovery is even more momentous.

"Making this specimen available to science means that we will be better equipped to investigate and better understand what this bizarre creature was like," said Professor Archer.

Cody Opals and the Australian Museum have enjoyed an on-going relationship for the last three years. During that time opal fossils belonging to the Australian Museum have been displayed at Cody Opals’ Pitt Street store as part of what has been called the ‘The National Opal Collection’. If it were not for this cooperative relationship many of these important fossils would not be on free and open display to the general public.

"We’re delighted to be able to exhibit these often brilliantly-coloured pieces of Australian prehistory in the centre of Australia’s most visited and exclusive shopping district," said Mr Cody.

"The relationship between Cody Opal and the Australian Museum has meant an extra $330,000 in the first three years that we would not have otherwise had," said Professor Archer. Money raised from the relationship has been used for the acquisition of additional specimens for the Australian Museum’s collections."

The National Opal Collection is open 7 days a week at 176 Pitt Street Mall, Sydney, Australia. Entry is free.