If you have always been fascinated by the existence of dinosaurs, this news may surprise you. Get ready because the scientists from the University of Alaska have made an astonishing discovery! The largest known single dinosaur track site is found in Alaska! It also has a record number of footprints of species over the years.
The researchers have given it the name “dinosaur coliseum.” The name itself gets us excited. So, Let’s know more about what they have discovered.
The fascinating discovery of the ‘Dinosaur Coliseum‘
The track site spans an area the size of one-and-a-half football fields. The incredible assembly of layers and layers of rocks has safely preserved the dinosaur footprints. This preserved site accounts for a number of dinosaur species that flourished in the land approximately 70 million years ago! Historical Biology journal has published the findings in a paper that left many stunned.
Image Source: IFL Science
“It’s not just one level of rock with tracks on it. It is a sequence through time. Up until now, Denali had other track sites that are known, but nothing of this magnitude,“ said the paper’s lead author and a former UAF graduate student, Dustin Stewart.
You might wonder why the footprints are on a vertical cliff. That is actually because they have moved with the shifting of tectonic plates over time. The cliffs were sediment flat back in the day. They have shifted and sent sections of crust up forming a vertical cliff.
Researchers say that the site seems to have had large plant-eating duck-billed and horned dinosaurs. Signs of some of the rare carnivores like tyrannosaurs, raptors, and a few small wading birds were also seen on the cliff tracks. Can you imagine how incredible it might have been?
Image credit: Dustin Stewart
“They are beautiful, You can see the shape of the toes and the texture of the skin,” said the senior author of the paper and director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North, Pat Druckenmiller.
Image Source: IFL Science
Dinosaur tracks are just one of the many things on the track site. The research team also discovered fossilized plants, pollen grains, and some evidence of freshwater shellfish and invertebrates.
Conclusion
Our earth has a history that goes way back. A number of species have come and gone even before our existence. The curiosity remains forever as we get to know how our earth and its early inhabitants might have been. Scientists and researchers are working night and day to find the most incredible parts of our history. The more we know the better right? However, if you are a fan of dinosaurs, then the news of finding the largest single dinosaur track site in Alaska will surprise you!
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