Sensation in the Italian mountains Hiker makes the find of her life
A hiker has stumbled across a significant find in the Italian Alps that offers an insight into a 280-million-year-old ecosystem. The discovery is one of the richest fossil sites in the region.
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- A hiker discovers fossil traces of a prehistoric ecosystem in the Orobie-Valtellinesi Nature Park.
- Experts find imprints of animals, skin, seeds and fossilized raindrops.
- The 280-million-year-old fossils were uncovered by glacial retreat.
A chance discovery could catapult the Orobie Valtellinesi Nature Park in northern Italy into the history books. Hiker Claudia Steffensen discovered the first trace of a prehistoric ecosystem there last summer. In the Ambria valley plain, she came across fossil impressions that experts classify as a sensational find.
"It was a hot summer's day and we were looking to cool off in the mountains. On the way back, I stepped on a stone that felt strange, almost like a cement slab. Then I noticed these strange circular patterns with wavy lines. I took a closer look and realized they were footprints," Steffensen told the Guardian.
A prehistoric Eldorado
After a comprehensive investigation by Cristiano Dal Sasso, palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum of Milan, and an international team of experts, it emerged that the site contained hundreds of fossil traces of at least five different animal species - including reptiles, amphibians and insects - from around 280 million years ago.
The fossil traces include not only footprints, but also rare details such as skin impressions, seeds and even fossilized raindrops. Lorenzo Marchetti, a specialist in trace fossils (ichnologist), explained: "The fine-grained sediments have preserved amazing details and give us a unique insight into prehistoric life."
Climate change as a helper to history
Interestingly, climate change played a decisive role in uncovering these relics. The fossils came to light due to the shrinking glacier cover. The most precious finds were recovered under spectacular conditions, sometimes using helicopters.
"These traces date back to a time with climatic conditions similar to those of today," explained Dal Sasso. The Orobie Valtellinesi Nature Park is now planning to turn the site into an open-air laboratory for research and education. The aim is to systematically map the fossils and gain a better understanding of the vanished ecosystem.
Some of the spectacular finds are already on display at the Natural History Museum in Milan - a testimony to a lost age that still amazes us today.
This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). All content created by AI is verified by the editorial team.
