"An immense scientific legacy" Photographer discovers thousands of dinosaur tracks in the Alps
A nature photographer has discovered the largest known dinosaur tracks in Europe in the Stelvio National Park. The tracks are located in difficult-to-access terrain at over 2000 meters, and even toes and claws are visible in the rock.
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- The largest dinosaur tracks in Europe to date have been discovered in the Stelvio National Park in northern Italy.
- The imprints, which are over 200 million years old, are probably from plateosaurs and show clear toe and claw marks.
- Researchers see evidence of herd behavior and describe the discovery as an "immense scientific legacy".
The most extensive dinosaur tracks in Europe to date have been found in Italy's Stelvio National Park in Lombardy. The president of the region spoke of a discovery of "historic proportions".
A nature photographer had made the sensational discovery in the area where next year's Winter Olympics are to be held. The tracks extend over several hundred meters.
"It's a veritable dinosaur valley that stretches for kilometers. The largest site in the Alps and one of the richest in the world," said palaeontologist Cristiano Dal Sasso from the Natural History Museum in Milan. The imprints were discovered on an almost vertical rock face at an altitude of over 2000 meters.
"An immense scientific heritage"
The footprints are over 200 million years old, with some measuring more than 40 centimetres in diameter. According to the researchers, the pattern was formed when dinosaurs walked over a still soft, muddy ground - the sediments at that time later turned into rock. Even the finest details of toes and claws are still visible today.
The discovery site is located in the Valle di Fraele near Bormio. In the time of the dinosaurs, the area was a warm lagoon, presumably home to plateosaurs. One of the researchers involved describes the discovery as a scientific milestone: "The footprints are a clear sign that the animals moved in herds."
There is also evidence that the dinosaurs formed a circle for defense. "This is an immense scientific legacy."
