Scientists discover identical dinosaur footprints on continents 6,000 kilometers apart

120 million years agoThree-toed carnivorous dinosaurs left their footprints in what is now Brazil and Cameroon. Louis Jacobspaleontologist Southern Methodist University (SMU)declares that these footprints belong to Early Cretaceous They were part of the supercontinent. Gondwana.

This discovery was published by New Mexico Museum of Natural Historyreveals that before south america and Africa The dinosaurs separated from each other, and traveled freely between the two land masses.

The study that I transferred CNNThe study, which examined more than 260 footprints, revealed that they were imprinted in clay and silt next to ancient rivers and lakes. The pattern of footprints was found over a distance of nearly 6,000 kilometers, suggesting that these lands were once connected. The scientists determined that the footprints were similar in age, shape and geological context, indicating biogeographic continuity at the time.

Jacobs He explained that one of the most recent and closest geological links between Africa and south america The “elbow” was from the northeast. BrazilWhich was located along the coast of what is now Cameroon.The two continents were connected along this narrow stretch, so animals on either side of this connection likely moved across it.” He said Jacobs In a press release from SMU Cited by CBS News.

According to the results of the study, south america and Africa They began to separate about 140 million years ago, eventually creating the planet. South Atlantic Ocean.

The research also found that most of the footprints were from theropods, a group of three-toed carnivorous dinosaurs, although some of the footprints were from herbivorous sauropods or ornithopods. This finding suggests that a wide range of animals moved through ancient river valleys.Searching for food and migration in response to seasonal and environmental changes.

Basin formation occurred in geological features known as “half-grapes” as the continents moved apart. These basins, caused by faults and tectonic movements, were filled with rivers and lakes that left behind muddy deposits.Which contributes to the preservation of antiquities.

Scientists have found evidence of these formations both in the Borborima area of BrazilAs in the Kom basin Cameroonas published CBS News.

The research provides a unique insight into how geology and paleobiology contribute to our understanding of the ancient world. Diana Vineyardco-author of the study and co-investigator at SMUHe said the footprints “tell us not only about the diversity of life, but also about how these dinosaurs moved and lived in their natural environments.” USA Today.

Although dinosaur fossils are a valuable tool for understanding the species that inhabited the Earth, fossil footprints offer a unique perspective in documenting dinosaur behavior and their environment. Jacobs He said that while the fossil record of bones tells us “who” these animals were, the footprints reveal to us Part of the story of “how” they lived..

footprints in Cameroon It was first discovered in the 1980s, and its colleague Jacobs, Professor Ismar de Souza Carvalho The follower Federal University of Rio de JaneiroHe was studying the effects of Brazil.

Both researchers Jacobs and Carvalhohas spent decades promoting new and current research.We wanted to bring together the new geological and fossil evidence that is developing to tell a more definitive story about how, where and when these animals spread between continents.“, he concluded. Jacobs.

This latest study was published in honor of Martin LockleyResearchers say he is a pioneer in the study of dinosaur footprints.