200 million-year-old dinosaur footprints found in southwest China

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Paleontologists have discovered over 20 dinosaur and other vertebrate footprints on a rock face in southwest China's Sichuan province, a find they believe provides new insights into early dinosaur evolution around 200 million years ago.

The tracks were initially spotted by a hiker in Dujiangyan city last month, and their authenticity was later verified by a research team led by Xing Lida, an associate professor at China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Xinhua News reported on Sunday.

This marked the first time dinosaur footprints have been reported in Dujiangyan.

According to Xing, the footprints include various theropod tracks made by meat-eating dinosaurs, as well as chirotherian-like prints, which resemble human hands and are attributed to early archosaur reptiles.

"What makes this site particularly valuable is that at least four layers preserve footprints, suggesting dinosaurs lived here for a long period," Xing stated.

Researchers also discovered pieces of petrified wood near the tracks, including fallen logs and upright stumps still in place, offering further insights into the local ecosystem over 200 million years ago.

Jiang Shan, a researcher at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Sichuan, noted that this newly found material will assist scientists in gaining a deeper understanding of the early evolutionary history of dinosaurs in China.