Overview
Background
I am a palaeo‑ichnologist and evolutionary biologist specialising in dinosaur footprints and fossil trackways, using digital and quantitative methods to reconstruct how extinct animals moved, behaved, and interacted with their environments.
My research focuses on extracting biological and behavioural information from footprints and trackways, particularly where body fossils are rare or absent. I develop and apply digital workflows that combine photogrammetry, spatial measurements, and custom analytical tools to study dinosaur locomotion, group behaviour, and palaeoecology in a reproducible and scalable way. A strong emphasis of my work is the use of remote and non‑destructive methods that allow high‑quality scientific analysis in regional, industrial, and operational settings.
I work extensively with industry partners and government agencies—such as the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority—to support rapid documentation and preservation of fossil footprints. I also collaborate closely with regional communities and citizen scientists, recognising their essential role in discovering, recording, and safeguarding Australia’s trace fossil heritage.
My research has received sustained national recognition within a decade of completing my PhD (2014). I was listed as a Lead Researcher in Australia in the Palaeontology category by The Australian Research Magazine in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, reflecting the impact and innovation of my contributions to digital palaeontology. My work spans major Australian and international tracksites and is strongly oriented toward public engagement, heritage protection, and translating scientific research beyond academia.
Availability
- Dr Anthony Romilio is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy of Palaeontology, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Dinosaur footprints and trackways
I reconstruct dinosaur locomotion, behaviour, and palaeoecology through detailed analysis of fossil footprints and trackways. My work focuses on interpreting movement patterns, group dynamics, and trackmaker identity using spatial measurements, 3D datasets, and quantitative comparisons across Australian and international sites.
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Digital and quantitative palaeontology
My research develops and applies digital workflows—including photogrammetry, 3D modelling, spatial landmarking, and machine‑learning‑assisted classification—to analyse fossil track morphology. These reproducible and non‑destructive methods support scientific analysis, heritage protection, and rapid documentation in operational settings.
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Fossil heritage, industry, and community engagement
I work at the interface of palaeontology, industry, and community participation to improve the discovery, documentation, and preservation of fossil footprints. This includes collaborations with mining operations, regulatory agencies, community groups, and international research partners to promote high‑quality heritage outcomes and widespread public engagement.
Research impacts
My research strengthens decision‑making in heritage management by improving how fossil tracksites are documented, preserved, and interpreted. Through remote and non‑disruptive documentation methods, I support industry partners in recording scientifically important footprints without interrupting operational workflows, helping balance economic activity with cultural and environmental stewardship.
Internationally, my work applies digital documentation frameworks across diverse geological and regulatory contexts, promoting methodological consistency and capacity building in ichnological research. Community engagement remains a central impact of my work: I design accessible digital tools and documentation protocols that empower citizen scientists and regional communities to identify and safeguard trace fossil sites. Public lectures, media contributions, exhibitions, and school‑based outreach further extend this impact, deepening public understanding of Australia’s fossil heritage and supporting curriculum‑aligned learning in regional and Indigenous communities.
Works
Search Professor Anthony Romilio’s works on UQ eSpace
2018
Journal Article
A standard protocol for documenting modern and fossil ichnological data
Falkingham, Peter L., Bates, Karl T., Avanzini, Marco, Bennett, Matthew, Bordy, Emese M., Breithaupt, Brent H., Castanera, Diego, Citton, Paolo, Díaz-Martínez, Ignacio, Farlow, Jim O., Fiorillo, Anthony R., Gatesy, Stephen M., Getty, Patrick, Hatala, Kevin G., Hornung, Jahn J., Hyatt, James A., Klein, Hendrik, Lallensack, Jens N., Martin, Anthony J., Marty, Daniel, Matthews, Neffra A., Meyer, Christian A., Milàn, Jesper, Minter, Nicholas J., Razzolini, Novella L., Romilio, Anthony, Salisbury, Steven W., Sciscio, Lara, Tanaka, Ikuko ... Belvedere, Matteo (2018). A standard protocol for documenting modern and fossil ichnological data. Palaeontology, 61 (4), 469-480. doi: 10.1111/pala.12373
2018
Journal Article
Tetrapod track assemblages from Lower Cretaceous desert facies in the Ordos Basin, Shaanxi Province, China, and their implications for Mesozoic paleoecology
Xing, Lida, Lockley, Martin G., Tang, Yongzhong, Romilio, Anthony, Xu, Tao, Li, Xingwen, Tang, Yu and Li, Yizhao (2018). Tetrapod track assemblages from Lower Cretaceous desert facies in the Ordos Basin, Shaanxi Province, China, and their implications for Mesozoic paleoecology. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 507, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.05.016
2018
Journal Article
Diverse sauropod-theropod-dominated track assemblage from the Lower Cretaceous Dasheng Group of Eastern China: testing the use of drones in footprint documentation
Xing, Lida, Lockley, Martin G., Romilio, Anthony, Klein, Hendrik, Zhang, Junqiang, Chen, Haiying, Zhang, Jiajie, Burns, Michael E. and Wang, Xiaoli (2018). Diverse sauropod-theropod-dominated track assemblage from the Lower Cretaceous Dasheng Group of Eastern China: testing the use of drones in footprint documentation. Cretaceous Research, 84, 588-599. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2017.12.012
2018
Journal Article
Late Triassic sauropodomorph and Middle Jurassic theropod tracks from the Xichang Basin, Sichuan Province, southwestern China: First report of the ichnogenus Carmelopodus
Xing, Li-Da, Ba, Jin, Lockley, Martin G., Klein, Hendrik, Yan, Sheng-Wu, Romilio, Anthony, Chou, Chun-Yong and Persons, W. Scott (2018). Late Triassic sauropodomorph and Middle Jurassic theropod tracks from the Xichang Basin, Sichuan Province, southwestern China: First report of the ichnogenus Carmelopodus. Journal of Palaeogeography, 7 (1), 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jop.2017.11.004
2017
Conference Publication
Dinosaurian ichnofaunas of South East Queensland
Romilio, A. (2017). Dinosaurian ichnofaunas of South East Queensland. CAVEPS, New Zealand, 2-5 October 2017.
2017
Journal Article
A diversified vertebrate ichnite fauna from the Dasheng Group (Lower Cretaceous) of southeast Shandong Province, China
Xing, Lida, Lockley, Martin G., Zhang, Junqiang, Romilio, Anthony, Klein, Hendrik, Wang, Yan, Tang, Yonggang, Burns, Michael E. and Wang, Xiaoli (2017). A diversified vertebrate ichnite fauna from the Dasheng Group (Lower Cretaceous) of southeast Shandong Province, China. Historical Biology, 31 (3), 1-10. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2017.1370588
2017
Journal Article
The Dinosaurian ichnofauna of the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of the Walmadany Area (James Price Point), Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia
Salisbury, Steven W., Romilio, Anthony, Herne, Matthew C., Tucker, Ryan T. and Nair, Jay P. (2017). The Dinosaurian ichnofauna of the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of the Walmadany Area (James Price Point), Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 36 (sup1), 1-152. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1269539
2017
Journal Article
The Evolution of Fangs, Venom, and Mimicry Systems in Blenny Fishes (vol 27, pg 1184, 2017)
Casewell, Nicholas R., Visser, Jeroen C., Baumann, Kate, Dobson, James, Han, Han, Kuruppu, Sanjaya, Morgan, Michael, Romilio, Anthony, Weisbecker, Vera, Mardon, Karine, Ali, Syed A., Debono, Jordan, Koludarov, Ivan, Que, Ivo, Bird, Gregory C., Cooke, Gavan M., Nouwens, Amanda, Hodgson, Wayne C., Wagstaff, Simon C., Cheney, Karen L., Vetter, Irina, van der Weerd, Louise, Richardson, Michael K. and Fry, Bryan G. (2017). The Evolution of Fangs, Venom, and Mimicry Systems in Blenny Fishes (vol 27, pg 1184, 2017). Current Biology, 27 (10), 1549-1550. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.009
2017
Journal Article
Coagulating colubrids: evolutionary, pathophysiological and biodiscovery implications of venom variations between boomslang (Dispholidus typus) and twig snake (Thelotornis mossambicanus)
Debono, Jordan, Dobson, James, Casewell, Nicholas R., Romilio, Anthony, Li, Bin, Kurniawan, Nyoman, Mardon, Karine, Weisbecker, Vera, Nouwens, Amanda , Kwok, Hang Fai and Fry, Bryan G. (2017). Coagulating colubrids: evolutionary, pathophysiological and biodiscovery implications of venom variations between boomslang (Dispholidus typus) and twig snake (Thelotornis mossambicanus). Toxins, 9 (5) 171, 171. doi: 10.3390/toxins9050171
2017
Journal Article
Two new dinosaur tracksites from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation of Sichuan Basin, China: specific preservation and ichnotaxonomy
Xing, Lida, Dai, Hui, Lockley, Martin G. , Romilio, Anthony, Klein, Hendrik, Li, Zhongdong, Hu, Xufeng, Peng, Guangzhao, Ye, Yong and Persons IV, W. Scott (2017). Two new dinosaur tracksites from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation of Sichuan Basin, China: specific preservation and ichnotaxonomy. Historical Biology, 30 (7), 976-984. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2017.1326113
2017
Journal Article
A multidisciplinary approach to digital mapping of dinosaurian tracksites in the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian-Barremian) Broome sandstone of the Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia
Romilio, Anthony, Hacker, Jorg M., Zlot, Robert, Poropat, George, Bosse, Michael and Salisbury, Steven W. (2017). A multidisciplinary approach to digital mapping of dinosaurian tracksites in the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian-Barremian) Broome sandstone of the Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia. PeerJ, 2017 (3) e3013, e3013. doi: 10.7717/peerj.3013
2017
Journal Article
The evolution of fangs, venom, and mimicry systems in blenny fishes
Casewell, Nicholas R., Visser, Jeroen C., Baumann, Kate, Dobson, James, Han, Han, Kuruppu, Sanjaya, Morgan, Michael, Romilio, Anthony, Weisbecker, Vera, Ali, Syed A., Debono, Jordan, Koludarov, Ivan, Que, Ivo, Bird, Gregory C., Cooke, Gavan M., Nouwens, Amanda, Hodgson, Wayne C., Wagstaff, Simon C., Cheney, Karen L., Vetter, Irina, van der Weerd, Louise, Richardson, Michael K. and Fry, Bryan G. (2017). The evolution of fangs, venom, and mimicry systems in blenny fishes. Current Biology, 27 (8), 1184-1191. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.067
2016
Conference Publication
Reconstruction of the motion and hindfoot posture of Rhoetosaurus brownei Longman, 1926 (Sauropoda, Gravisauria)
Jannel, Andréas, Panagiotopoulou, Olga, Romilio, Anthony , Nair, Jay P. and Salisbury, Steven W. (2016). Reconstruction of the motion and hindfoot posture of Rhoetosaurus brownei Longman, 1926 (Sauropoda, Gravisauria). The Palaeontological Association 60th Annual Meeting, Université Claude Bernard Lyon, Lyon, France, 79, 14-17 December, 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
New approaches to evaluating the Australian dinosaur tracksites of Lark Quarry, Queensland and of the Broome Sandstone, Western Australia
Romilio, A., Hacker, J. and Salisbury, S. W. (2016). New approaches to evaluating the Australian dinosaur tracksites of Lark Quarry, Queensland and of the Broome Sandstone, Western Australia. Spring Meeting of the Korean Earth Science Society and Gyeongnam Goseong International Dinosaur Symposium, Gyeongnam, South Korea, 2016. Seoul, South Korea: Gyeongnam Educational Welfare Center.
2016
Conference Publication
3D digital analysis of non-avian dinosaur tracksites at Lark Quarry and Minyirr: implications for understanding Australia's Cretaceous dinosaurian fauna
Salisbury, S. W., Romilio, A. and Hacker, J. (2016). 3D digital analysis of non-avian dinosaur tracksites at Lark Quarry and Minyirr: implications for understanding Australia's Cretaceous dinosaurian fauna. Palaeo Down Under 2, Adelaide, SA, Australia, July 2016. Sydney Australia: Geological Society of Australia.
2016
Conference Publication
Simulated range of motion and hindfoot posture of Rhoetosaurus brownei Longman, 1926 (Sauropoda, Gravisauria)
Jannel, A., Panagiotopoulou, O., Romilio, A., Nair, J. P. and Salisbury, S. W. (2016). Simulated range of motion and hindfoot posture of Rhoetosaurus brownei Longman, 1926 (Sauropoda, Gravisauria). Palaeo Down Under 2, Adelaide Australia, July 2016. Sydney, NSW Australia: Geological Society of Australia.
2016
Conference Publication
Palaeoenvironmental setting of non-avian dinosaur tracks in the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of Reddell Beach, Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia
Gray, S., Romilio, A., Hacker, J., Chamberlain, P. and Salisbury, S. W. (2016). Palaeoenvironmental setting of non-avian dinosaur tracks in the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of Reddell Beach, Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia. Palaeo Down Under 2, Adelaide, Australia, July 2016. Sydney, Australia: Geological Society of Australia.
2014
Journal Article
Large dinosaurian tracks from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Lark Quarry, central-western Queensland, Australia: 3D photogrammetric analysis renders the 'stampede trigger' scenario unlikely
Romilio, Anthony and Salisbury, Steven W. (2014). Large dinosaurian tracks from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) portion of the Winton Formation, Lark Quarry, central-western Queensland, Australia: 3D photogrammetric analysis renders the 'stampede trigger' scenario unlikely. Cretaceous Research, 51, 186-207. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2014.06.003
2014
Other Outputs
No dinosaur stampede at Lark Quarry – so what really happened?
Salisbury, Steven and Romilio, Anthony (2014, 07 15). No dinosaur stampede at Lark Quarry – so what really happened? The Conversation
2014
Other Outputs
The ichnological record of Australian Cretaceous ornithopodan dinosaurs: diversity, behaviour, and implications for the evolution of pedal posture
Romilio, Anthony (2014). The ichnological record of Australian Cretaceous ornithopodan dinosaurs: diversity, behaviour, and implications for the evolution of pedal posture. PhD Thesis, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.494
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Anthony Romilio is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Available projects
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Dinosaur locomotion and behaviour from fossil trackways
This project investigates dinosaur locomotion, behaviour, and group dynamics using fossil footprints and trackways. Students will apply quantitative and digital methods to analyse trackway geometry, gait parameters, and spatial patterns from Australian and international sites. The project is suitable for candidates interested in dinosaur behaviour, biomechanics, and trace fossil analysis, and can be tailored to theropod, sauropod, or ornithopod trackways.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Distribution, abundance, and palaeoecological insights into theropod tracks of the Broome Sandstone, Western Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Steven Salisbury
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Anthony Romilio directly for media enquiries about:
- Citizen science
- Dinosaur footprints
- Dinosaur tracks
- Dinosaur trackways
- Dinosaurs
- Evolution
- Fossil footprints
- Fossil heritage
- Mining and fossils
- Palaeontology
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