Fossil mining. Research team members at Dinosaur Cove pin steel reinforcing mesh to the wall of their mine with long expansion bolts driven in by a jackhammer. Dinosaur Cove is situated near Cape Otway in southern Australia. Dinosaur Cove is the world's first mine developed specifically for paleontology, normally the scientists rely on commercial mining to make the excavations. The site is of particular interest as the fossils found date from about 100 million years ago, when Australia was much closer to the South Pole than today [1989].