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On the Alps the unpublished footprints of large ancient reptiles VIDEO

2021-01-15T17:59:06.624Z


Fossil footprints with an unusual shape, left 250 million years ago by large reptiles similar to crocodiles, have been found in the western Alps at 2,200 meters above sea level, in the area of ​​the Gardetta plateau in the province of Cuneo (ANSA)


Fossil footprints with an unprecedented shape, left 250 million years ago by large reptiles similar to crocodiles, were found in the Western Alps at 2,200 meters above sea level, in the area of ​​the Gardetta Plateau in the province of Cuneo: imprinted a few million years after most severe mass extinction in history, show that this area was not totally inhospitable to life as previously assumed.

The discovery is published in the Peer J magazine by geologists and paleontologists from the Muse (Trento Science Museum), the Institute and Museum of Paleontology of the University of Zurich and the Universities of Turin, Rome Sapienza and Genoa.

"Among the various footprints of reptiles left imprinted in the quartzarenite rock, we found in particular three consecutive steps, or three pairs of footprints of front and rear legs about 30 centimeters long and exceptionally preserved: even the fleshy pads present under the phalanges can be seen" , explains to ANSA Fabio Massimo Petti, an expert on Muse's fossil footprints and first author of the study.

"This allowed us to reconstruct the skeleton of the limbs, probably belonging to an archosauriform reptile vaguely resembling a crocodile and at least 4 meters long".

The animal was probably walking on the muddy bottoms of an ancient sea coast line near a river delta.

"In the lower Triassic this area was close to the equator," Petti points out.

"The lack of fossil skeletons had led to speculation that the area was inhospitable and that the animals that survived the mass extinction of the late Permian had migrated to other latitudes: the new footprints, however, belie this theory."

Source: ansa

All tech articles on 2021-01-15

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