Scientists have uncovered an extensive site of ancient dinosaur footprints on steep rock faces high in the Italian Alps, a discovery described as one of the most significant fossil track finds in the country.
The footprints were found on cliffs more than two thousand metres above sea level in the Valle di Fraele near the town of Bormio, an area set to host events during the upcoming Winter Olympics. Researchers estimate the site contains thousands of individual tracks spread across several kilometres of exposed rock.
Paleontologists believe the footprints date back more than two hundred million years to the Triassic period. The tracks were likely made by groups of large herbivorous dinosaurs with long necks, similar to early plateosaurs, that once roamed a warm coastal environment in what is now a mountainous region.
Experts say the site is especially valuable because many of the prints show clear details, including toes and claw marks. These features provide rare insight into dinosaur movement, behaviour and group dynamics during an early stage of dinosaur evolution.
The discovery was made after a wildlife photographer noticed unusual markings while exploring the rugged terrain earlier this year. Subsequent analysis confirmed the impressions were fossilised footprints preserved when soft sediment hardened into rock over millions of years. Later geological forces tilted the rock layers, turning what were once flat surfaces into near vertical cliffs.
Because of the site’s altitude and difficult access, scientists plan to use drones and remote imaging technology to study and map the footprints in detail. Further research is expected to shed light on how dinosaurs moved through the region and how the ancient landscape once looked.
Local officials welcomed the discovery, calling it an extraordinary reminder of the region’s deep natural history. Researchers say the find adds to a growing body of evidence that parts of the Alps were once thriving habitats for early dinosaurs long before the mountains formed.
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