Overview
Background
Research Associate, UQ DINOSAUR LAB, School of the Environment
I have been listed as Australia's Lead Researcher in the field of Palaeontology in 2026, 2025, 2024, and 2023 by The Australian Research Magazine.
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 combining 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 enable high‑quality scientific analysis in regional, industrial, and operational settings.
I work with industry partners and government agencies—including the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority—to support rapid documentation and preservation of fossil footprints, and collaborate closely with regional communities and citizen scientists who play an essential role in discovering and safeguarding Australia's trace fossil heritage.
Availability
- Dr Anthony Romilio is:
- Not 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 improves how fossil tracksites are documented, preserved, and interpreted—directly supporting decision‑making in heritage management. Remote, non‑disruptive documentation methods allow industry partners to record scientifically important footprints without interrupting operational workflows, balancing economic activity with cultural and environmental stewardship.
Internationally, I promote methodological consistency and capacity building across diverse geological and regulatory contexts. Community impact is central to my work: accessible digital tools and documentation protocols empower citizen scientists and regional communities to identify and protect trace fossil sites, while public lectures, media contributions, and school-based outreach deepen public understanding of Australia's fossil heritage.
Works
Search Professor Anthony Romilio’s works on UQ eSpace
2019
Journal Article
“Keep your feet on the ground”: simulated range of motion and hind foot posture of the Middle Jurassic sauropod Rhoetosaurus brownei and its implications for sauropod biology
Jannel, Andréas, Nair, Jay P., Panagiotopoulou, Olga, Romilio, Anthony and Salisbury, Steven W. (2019). “Keep your feet on the ground”: simulated range of motion and hind foot posture of the Middle Jurassic sauropod Rhoetosaurus brownei and its implications for sauropod biology. Journal of Morphology, 280 (6) jmor.20989, 849-878. doi: 10.1002/jmor.20989
2019
Journal Article
A diversified dinosaur track assemblage from the Lower Cretaceous Xiaoba Formation of Sichuan Province, China: implications for ichnological database and census studies
Xing, Lida, Lockley, Martin G., Tong, Kui, Peng, Guangzhao, Romilio, Anthony, Klein, Hendrik, Persons, W. Scott, Ye, Yong and Jiang, Shan (2019). A diversified dinosaur track assemblage from the Lower Cretaceous Xiaoba Formation of Sichuan Province, China: implications for ichnological database and census studies. Cretaceous Research, 96, 120-134. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2018.11.026
2019
Journal Article
The first theropod tracks from the Middle Jurassic of Gansu, Northwest China: new and rare evidence of quadrupedal progression in theropod dinosaurs
Li, Da-Qing, Xing, Li-Da, Lockley, Martin G., Romilio, Anthony, Yang, Jing-Tao and Li, Long-Feng (2019). The first theropod tracks from the Middle Jurassic of Gansu, Northwest China: new and rare evidence of quadrupedal progression in theropod dinosaurs. Journal of Palaeogeography, 8 (1) 10. doi: 10.1186/s42501-019-0028-4
2019
Conference Publication
Coagulating colubrids: evolutionary, pathophysiological and biodiscovery implications of venom variations between Dispholidus typus and 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. (2019). Coagulating colubrids: evolutionary, pathophysiological and biodiscovery implications of venom variations between Dispholidus typus and Thelotornis mossambicanus. 19th World Congress of the International-Society-on-Toxinology (IST) / 11th Asia Pacific Congress of the International-Society-on-Toxinology (IST) / 13th Chinese Conference on Toxins and Medical Applications, Haikou, Peoples Republic of China, 24-31 October 2017. Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.10.144
2018
Journal Article
Smallest known raptor tracks suggest microraptorine activity in lakeshore setting
Kim, Kyung Soo, Lim, Jong Deock, Lockley, Martin G., Xing, Lida, Kim, Dong Hee, Pinuele, Laura, Romilio, Anthony, Yoo, Jae Sang, Kim, Jin Ho and Ahn, Jaehong (2018). Smallest known raptor tracks suggest microraptorine activity in lakeshore setting. Scientific Reports, 8 (1) 16908, 16908. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-35289-4
2018
Other Outputs
Dinosaurian tracks and related geological features of the Reddell Point—Entrance Point area, Broome, Western Australia; palaeontological survey as part of the 2018 Broome Safe Boat Harbour site assessment process
Salisbury, S. W. and Romilio, A. (2018). Dinosaurian tracks and related geological features of the Reddell Point—Entrance Point area, Broome, Western Australia; palaeontological survey as part of the 2018 Broome Safe Boat Harbour site assessment process. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2018
Journal Article
Multiple parallel deinonychosaurian trackways from a diverse dinosaur track assemblage of the Lower Cretaceous Dasheng Group of Shandong Province, China
Xing, Lida, Lockley, Martin G., Guo, Ying, Klein, Hendrik, Zhang, Junqiang, Zhang, Li, Persons, W. Scott, Romilio, Anthony, Tang, Yonggang and Wang, Xiaoli (2018). Multiple parallel deinonychosaurian trackways from a diverse dinosaur track assemblage of the Lower Cretaceous Dasheng Group of Shandong Province, China. Cretaceous Research, 90, 40-55. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.005
2018
Journal Article
Lower Cretaceous sauropod trackways from Lishui City and an overview of dinosaur dominated track assemblages from Zhejiang Province, China
Xing, Li-Da, Chou, Chun-Yong, Lockley, Martin G., Romilio, Anthony, Klein, Hendrik, Li, Nan and Scott Persons, W. (2018). Lower Cretaceous sauropod trackways from Lishui City and an overview of dinosaur dominated track assemblages from Zhejiang Province, China. Journal of Palaeogeography, 7 (1) 9. doi: 10.1186/s42501-018-0011-5
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
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Anthony Romilio is:
- Not available for supervision
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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