BLAST FROM THE PAST: Ancient dinosaurs left a massive trail in Italy

International

A REMARKABLE window into the distant past has emerged in northern Italy, where thousands of dinosaur footprints dating back 210 million years have been found in Stelvio National Park.

The prints, some measuring up to 40cm (15in) across, are arranged in parallel rows, many showing distinct toe and claw marks. Scientists believe they were made by prosauropods—herbivorous dinosaurs with long necks, small heads, and sharp claws.

“I never would have imagined I’d come across such a spectacular discovery in the region where I live,” said Milan-based paleontologist Cristiano Dal Sasso in a BBC report.

According to him, the tracks reveal more than movement alone: the herds appear to have moved in harmony, and some formations suggest complex behaviors, such as groups of dinosaurs gathering in circles, possibly for defense.

The discovery began last September when photographer Elio Della Ferrera spotted the footprints stretching for hundreds of metres along a vertical cliff.

He reflected that the find highlights how little we know about the places we live, calling it an opportunity to reflect on our home and planet.

During the Triassic period, roughly 250 to 201 million years ago, the cliff was part of a tidal flat that would eventually become the Alpine chain. Prosauropods, which could grow as long as 10m (33ft), generally walked on two legs, but some handprints suggest they occasionally rested on their forelimbs.

Because the site is located in a remote area without paths, researchers will rely on drones and remote sensing technology to study it further, according to a press release from the Italian Ministry of Culture.

The footprints lie in the Fraele Valley near Italy’s border with Switzerland, close to the venue for next year’s Winter Olympics. The ministry noted that the discovery symbolically links past and present, “combining past and present in a symbolic passing of the baton between nature and sport.”(MyTVCebu)