Magyarosaurus dacus in Bakony–Balaton Geopark

Lavender House Visitor Centre, Tihany

A full-size replica of Magyarosaurus dacus is travelling from Canada across Europe to reach its "home" in Romania, Haţeg Country Dinosaurs Geopark. The dinosaur lived about 70 million years ago and its remains were found by a Hungarian baron Ferenc Nopcsa, on his family estate at the beginning of the 20th century. Experts say that the relatively small size (6-7 m long) of the reptile is due to the fact that it developed and lived on an island where – unlike huge terrestrial areas – living conditions were limited.

The scientifically accurate replica was created on the basis of the findings discovered in Haţeg. The replica was made by Brian Cooley, a Canadian palaeoartist in cooperation with palaeontologists, geologists and artists. Brian Cooley and his team (including a Canadian filming crew) made a short stop with the replica in Paris and in two of the almost 60 European geoparks: the German Bergstrasse-Odenwald Geopark (World Heritage Site Messel Pit) and the Hungarian Bakony–Balaton Geopark.

During its stay in Hungary the Magyarosaurus dacus was introduced to the public in one of the most beautiful spas at Lake Balaton, the town of Balatonfüred. The following day the replica travelled to the eastern gate of the Bakony–Balaton Geopark, the Lavender House Visitor Centre in Tihany and stayed there for one day. On this unique occasion the Lavender House awaited visitors with dino-workshop for children, dino-cookies and dino-quiz. The Lavender House interprets the exceptionally rich natural heritage of Tihany Peninsula and it is one of the several geotourism possibilities of the geopark and of Balaton Uplands National Park.

Dr. Attila Ősi, an internationally renowned palaeontologist and discoverer of the Hungarian dinosaur findings held a very interesting presentation on the dinosaur fossils of the Carpathian Basin. He talked about the history of the discovery of Magyarosaurus dacus in Transylvania and he also presented the main features of the dinosaur fossils that have been discovered by him and his team since 2000 in Iharkút, Bakony–Balaton Geopark, the only dinosaur location in Hungary.

The following slide show and presentation was held by Barnabás Korbély, Head of Bakony–Balaton Geopark Group, who talked about the goals and activities of our geopark and showed the exceptionally diverse geological heritage of the area.

On 17th June the dinosaur replica continued its journey via Budapest where it stayed for a short while in front of the Hungarian Geological and Geophysical Institution.

The team and the replica arrived to Hateg Country Dinosaurs Geopark on 18th June and it is now ready for a trip in Romania and its aspiring geopark areas. Magyarosaurus dacus will return to the Hateg area and will become part of the planned Transylvanian Dinosaur Museum.