Meet Koolasuchus cleelandi, a giant amphibian from the Cretaceous of Victoria, Australia (~125 million years ago) with the body of a salamander and a head as big as a wheelie bin lid. An animal that by all rights, SHOULD have gone extinct millions of years ago and chosen by the people as the state fossil emblem for Victoria.

We hear from two of the brilliant paleontologists who worked on the holotype, fossil preparator Lesley Kool and prospector Mike cleeland.

We deviate and also talk red and white blood-cell like structures in the Jurassic ichthyosaur Stenopterygius.

Links:
Random Fossil Fact
Palaeobiology of red and white blood cell-like structures, collagen and cholesterol in an ichthyosaur bone

Koolasuchus
The last last labyrinthodonts?

Palaeobiogeography of Australian fossil amphibians

Victoria's new state fossil emblem: Koolasuchus cleelandi

Koolasuchus cleelandi: Cool Cretaceous monster amphibian

Meet Koolasuchus cleelandi, the people's choice as Victoria's official fossil emblem

Dinosaurs of Darkness: In Search of the Lost Polar World – by Thomas H. Rich & Patricia Vickers-Rich

This episode is brought to you by Dinosaur Trips! Explore the world and see the best museums, meet experts and even dig up real dinosaurs. For more info visit dinosaurtrips.com and email zach@dinosaurtrips.com about the Badlands and Beyond Trip.

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Host: Adele Pentland @palaeodel

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Jean-César Puechmarin @cesar_on_safari
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François "Francy" Goudreault @hellofrancy