Paleontologists have confirmed the discovery of more than 20 dinosaur and other vertebrate footprints on a rocky wall in Sichuan province, in southwestern China.
This find, dating back approximately 200 million years, sheds new light on the early evolution of dinosaurs, according to Noticias Argentinas news agency. The footprints were discovered last month by a hiker in the city of Dujiangyan. These remains provide additional information about the local ecosystem that existed over 200 million years ago, likely during the Triassic period.
Quote: «This new material is crucial for scientists to better understand the early evolutionary history of dinosaurs in China,» said Jiang Shan, a researcher at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Sichuan.
Subsequently, its authenticity was confirmed by a research team led by Xing Lida, an associate professor at the China University of Geosciences (Beijing). This is the first time dinosaur footprints have been reported in Dujiangyan.
Insights into Triassic life Xing Lida explained that the impressions include several types of tracks, suggesting a diversity of species living in the area:
Theropod tracks: Marks of different sizes left by carnivorous dinosaurs. Chirotherium-type tracks: Footprints resembling a human hand, attributed to primitive reptilian archosaurs.
«What makes this site particularly valuable is that at least four layers preserve footprints, suggesting that dinosaurs lived here for a long period,» noted Xing.
Ancient ecosystem Researchers also found fragments of petrified wood near the footprints, including fallen logs and stumps preserved in place.