In the Stelvio National Park in northern Italy, archaeologists and paleontologists are studying a unique find – a huge "field" of ancient reptile footprints preserved on the vertical slopes of the mountains. This is reported by the BBC, writes UNN.
Details
The discovery was made by amateur photographer Elio Della Ferrera back in September last year. He noticed strange patterns stretching for hundreds of meters along the cliffs in the Fraele Valley, near the border with Switzerland. As it turned out later, these are thousands of dinosaur tracks, some of which reach 40 cm in diameter.
Who left these traces?
Scientists identified the "authors" of the footprints as prosauropods. These were herbivorous giants that had the following characteristics:
- Length: up to 10 meters.
- Appearance: long neck, small head, and sharp claws.
- Locomotion: mostly on two legs, but findings suggest that they could also lean on their forelimbs when stopping.
This place was literally filled with dinosaurs; it's a grand scientific treasure
Evidence of complex behavior
Paleontologists are impressed not only by the quantity but also by the state of preservation of the finds: fingers and claws are clearly visible on many footprints. Studies have shown that dinosaurs moved in coordinated herds. Scientists even noticed traces of a "defensive strategy" – groups of animals gathered in a circle, probably to protect themselves from predators.
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During the Triassic period (250–201 million years ago), this area was a flat plain. As a result of tectonic processes and the formation of the Alps, the former valley turned into steep vertical walls, preserving history in stone.
Symbolism and future research
Since the area is difficult to access and has no hiking trails, the Italian Ministry of Culture plans to use drones and remote sensing technologies for further study of the area.
Interestingly, the find is located near the venues of the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The ministry called this a "symbolic passing of the baton" between ancient nature and modern sports.
The discoverer himself, Elio Della Ferrera, hopes that this find will make people think about how little we still know about our planet and our own home.