In northwestern Alaska, archaeologists have discovered a large number of ancient dinosaur tracks dating back 100 million years. The research results have been published in Geosciences.
The discovery in the Coxa Basin of Alaska’s Nanushuk Formation reveals more about ancient animal migration and mid-Cretaceous climate. In their search for ancient tracks, archaeologists have discovered forest remains and even fossilized animal feces.
Study leader Anthony Fiorillo said: “This place was insanely rich in dinosaur tracks.”
Surprisingly, the team of researchers even managed to identify the types of dinosaurs that left their tracks.
The vast majority (59%) were bipedal herbivores, with the remainder following: quadrupedal herbivores (17%), birds (15%), and non-avian, mostly carnivorous, bipedal dinosaurs (9%).
These findings offer the opportunity to answer questions about animal migrations that took place 100 million years ago.
Importantly, these tracks also allow for a more detailed analysis of mid-Cretaceous climate, which could be extremely valuable as we face today’s climate challenges.
Samples of the wood studied also indicate a more humid climate at the time, similar to modern Miami. This fact allows us to understand more about the changes occurring in nature and will help broaden our horizons in the field of climatology and ecology.
