Paleontologists Unravel 76-Million-Year-Old Mystery

In a stunning revelation, paleontologists have unearthed ancient footprints in Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park, marking the first evidence of multispecies herding behaviors among dinosaurs. These 76-million-year-old tracks, resembling the modern-day practice of wildebeests and zebras traveling together across the African savanna, provide a new perspective on dinosaur social structures.

Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Treasure Trove of Ancient Life

Regarded as one of the world’s premier sites for understanding Late Cretaceous ecosystems, Dinosaur Provincial Park has long been a hotspot for paleontologists. With its rich deposits of dinosaur skeletons, bones, and teeth, the park serves as a living laboratory for exploring dinosaur evolution and behavior.

A Rare Footprint Find

Though dinosaur bones are often plentiful, fossilized footprints remain a rare find. In 2024, researchers, led by Dr. Phil Bell from the University of New England, stumbled upon an exceptional tracksite—the Skyline Tracksite—featuring distinctive "natural mould" tracks that had yet to be documented in the park.

Witnesses to Prehistoric Behavior

At this site, the team identified 13 ceratopsian tracks left by at least five horned dinosaurs, alongside traces of an ankylosaurid. Even more intriguing were the tracks of two large tyrannosaurs moving parallel to the herd, suggesting that this mixed-species group might have employed herding as a strategy to defend against predators. A single footprint from a smaller carnivorous dinosaur was also discovered, further highlighting the complex interactions that took place in this ancient ecosystem.

A Journey Back in Time

"Having spent nearly two decades collecting dinosaur bones in this park, I had never considered footprints before this discovery," remarked Dr. Bell. He described the excitement of finding tracks that resembled muddy imprints left behind by feet, igniting curiosity about dinosaur behavior.

The Thrill of Discovery

Dr. Brian Pickles from the University of Reading expressed his exhilaration at walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs after 76 million years. He noted that utilizing new search images of these footprints has allowed for the discovery of even more sites within the park, suggesting a wealth of knowledge waiting to be uncovered regarding dinosaur interactions.

Uncovering Dinosaur History

According to Dr. Caleb Brown from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, this groundbreaking find underscores the vast and uncharted territory of dinosaur paleontology. Despite a century of intense study in Dinosaur Provincial Park, the potential for discovering dinosaur trackways is only now being realized.

Published Findings

These remarkable discoveries and insights are detailed in a paper published in the journal PLoS ONE, offering a glimpse into the intricate and previously misunderstood social behaviors of dinosaurs.