Elio Della Ferrera, Arch. PaleoStelvio
\nTwo people look up at the wall of footprints.
\nInitial research was carried out before snow covered the area.<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands of dinosaur footprints dating back 210 million years have been discovered in a national park in northern Italy.<\/p>\n
Some of these footprints measure up to 40 cm (15 inches) in diameter and appear in parallel lines, with many showing clear impressions of toes and claws.<\/p>\n
The dinosaurs are believed to be prosauropods\u2014plant-eating animals with long necks, small but powerful legs, and sharp claws.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never thought I would discover something this extraordinary in an area where I live,\u201d said the scientist in charge of the site.<\/p>\n
Illustration by Fabio Manucci, Arch. PaleoStelvio
\nAn artist\u2019s rendition of a herd of prosauropod dinosaurs walking across a vast, muddy plain during low tide. The image shows groups of dinosaurs crossing wide plains of thick mud, with smaller footprints indicating the presence of younger individuals within the herd.<\/p>\n
Last September, a photographer spotted these tracks stretching for thousands of meters along a sloping mountain wall in Stelvio National Park, located northeast of Milan.<\/p>\n
During the Triassic period\u2014between about 250 and 201 million years ago\u2014the wall was part of a coastal marine environment, which later became part of the Alpine mountain ranges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe area must have been teeming with dinosaurs; it is an enormous scientific treasure,\u201d added Dr. Dal Sasso.<\/p>\n
He noted that the herds moved smoothly and said: \u201cThere is also evidence of more complex behavioral patterns, such as animals gathering in circles, possibly for self-defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
These dinosaurs, which could reach lengths of up to 10 meters (33 feet), walked on two legs, but in some cases footprints of front limbs were found ahead of the main tracks, suggesting they may have stopped and rested their forelimbs on the ground.<\/p>\n
Elio Della Ferrera, Arch. PaleoStelvio
\nA mountain wall full of dinosaur footprints.<\/p>\n
Photographer Elio Della Ferrera, who discovered the site, said he hopes the find will inspire reflection in all of us, shifting attention to how little we realize we know about the places we inhabit\u2014our country and our planet.<\/p>\n
According to a statement issued by the Italian Ministry of Culture, the area is sparsely populated and inaccessible by paths, so remote-sensing drone technology will be used.<\/p>\n
Stelvio National Park is located in the Val Frea valley on Italy\u2019s border with Switzerland, near the site of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
The Italian Ministry of Culture stated that \u201cthis commitment shows how history itself wishes to take part in the world\u2019s greatest sporting event, symbolically merging the past and the present in a dialogue between nature and sport.\u201d<\/p>\n
United News Network \u2013 UNN Arabic
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