Scientists have Jerome Deeds Archivesdiscovered some of the world's largest dinosaur tracks—measuring as long as the average person is tall—in western Australia.
The 5.5-foot-long tracks likely belonged to a long-necked, small-headed sauropod. They're part of an unusually diverse array of dinosaur tracks imprinted into the rocks on Australia's Dampier Peninsula.
SEE ALSO: Earliest dinosaurs may have originally come from Britain, new study saysPaleontologists from the University of Queensland and James Cook University recently identified 21 different types of tracks on the 16-mile stretch of coastline. Rocks in the Kimberley region date back to 127 million to 140 million years ago, the team said in a new study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
"It's such a magical place—Australia's own Jurassic Park," Steve Salisbury, the study's lead author a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Queensland, said in a news release.
Salisbury and his team spent more than 400 hours investigating and documenting the "unprecedented" panoply of dinosaur tracks.
They found five different types of predatory dinosaur tracks and at least six types of tracks from herbivorous sauropods, including the human-sized footprints.
"Most people would be able to fit inside tracks that big, and they indicate animals that are probably around 5.3 to 5.5 meters [17.4 to 18 feet] at the hip, which is enormous, Salisbury told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
In terms of size, the sauropod tracks top a dinosaur footprint found in the Mongolian desert that measured about 3.8 feet long.
Salinger's team also identified four types of tracks from two-legged, plant-eating ornithopods and six types of tracks from dinosaurs bedecked with spikes and plates, such as the stegosaurus.
Their work was prompted by the potential development of a $40 billion liquified natural gas processing plant in Walmadany. Concerned the plant would pave over the area's stunning environment, the Goolarabooloo people, the local traditional custodians, contacted Salisbury and his team.
"We needed the world to see what was at stake," Phillip Roe, the Goolarabooloo law boss, said in the news release.
Fortunately for residents and paleontologists alike, the west Kimberley region was listed as a National Heritage Place in 2011, and two years later, the natural gas project collapsed.
Best holiday travel deal: Save 14% on the AirFly SE Bluetooth transmitterNYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for December 19: Tips to solve Connections #87Clemson vs. Texas football livestreams: kickoff time, streaming deals, and moreLos Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings 2024 livestream: Watch NBA onlineBest HP laptop deal: Save $600 on OmniBook Ultra 14NYT Strands hints, answers for December 18Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks 2024 livestream: Watch NBA onlineBest Buy Drops this week: Save $120 on the LitterBest Amazon deal: Shop select fitness and outdoor gear and save $25 when you spend $200Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks 2024 livestream: Watch NBA onlineApple reportedly cancels plans for iPhone subscription serviceHollywood power player Franklin Leonard on how AirPods changed his lifeBest Amazon deal: Shop select fitness and outdoor gear and save $25 when you spend $200Real Madrid vs. Pachuca 2024 livestream: Watch Intercontinental Cup Final for freeChicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics 2024 livestream: Watch NBA onlineIndiana Pacers vs. Phoenix Suns 2024 livestream: Watch NBA onlineOpenAI now lets you call ChatGPT on your phoneTablet deals: Get up to 46% off on tablets from Amazon, Apple, and SamsungHydro Flask deals: Up to 50% off on water bottles and tumblersBest Beats deal: Save $180 on Beats Studio Pro Ransomware attack hits Port of San Diego Bear's summer plans include napping in your backyard kiddie pool Here's your first glimpse of '70s Newspapers plaster Bill Clinton on front pages after Hillary's nomination How supporters of Christine Blasey Ford are showing solidarity Joe Biden unleashes a glorious trademark burn at Democratic convention Ruin the holidays with these mac and cheese candy canes If politicians were famous Philadelphia attractions ALS ice bucket challenge leads to real How images like #DonDaleKids let us 'perform' our shock and outrage Senator Orrin Hatch just called Dr. Christine Blasey Ford an 'attractive witness' 15 people reveal their wildest misconceptions about sex Oculus Quest hands on The biggest pumpkin ever grown in North America weighs more than a ton How to fix work relationships that are driving you crazy Some basic steps to protect your Facebook account after hack hits 50 million users Here's how to get new Dynamic Desktop wallpapers for Mojave You can explore the garage where Google was born on Street View Burger King's AI 'Armageddon'
1.6762s , 10132.265625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Jerome Deeds Archives】,Miracle Information Network