Imagine hiking through the Italian Alps and stumbling upon footprints left by dinosaurs.
Sounds unreal, right? Yet that’s exactly what’s happened in northern Italy.
Thousands of dinosaur tracks—some dating back an astonishing 210 million years—have been uncovered in Stelvio National Park.
The prints, many as wide as a dinner plate, run in neat, parallel lines across a sheer mountain wall. Toes. Claws. Even resting marks.
Paleontologists believe they were left by prosauropods—long-necked, plant-eating giants that roamed the Earth during the Triassic period.
“I never imagined I’d find something this spectacular so close to home,” said Milan-based paleontologist Cristiano Dal Sasso.
Back then, he explained, this dramatic rock face was actually a muddy tidal flat, later pushed skyward as the Alps formed.
Fossil Footprints Found
The footprints tell a surprisingly social story. Some suggest herds moving in sync.
Others hint at animals gathering in circles—possibly for protection.
In a few cases, handprints appear alongside footprints, suggesting the dinosaurs paused to rest on all fours.
The discovery was first spotted by photographer Elio Della Ferrera.
He reflected: it’s a reminder of “how little we truly know about the places we live.”
Too remote for foot traffic, the site will now be studied using drones.
Proof, perhaps, that even in familiar landscapes, deep time is still waiting to be noticed.
