150-million-year-old dinosaur footprints reveal something strange about its walk
Researchers have used drone technology to create a 3D model of a 150-million-year-old sauropod trackway in Colorado. The analysis reveals a rare, complete loop in the dinosaur's path, suggesting the animal may have been walking with a limp.
Why it matters
This discovery provides rare, detailed insights into the movement and behavioral patterns of giant sauropods from the Late Jurassic period.
A rare looping trail of fossilized footprints in Colorado is giving scientists a detailed look at how a giant dinosaur moved 150 million years ago. The evidence also raises the possibility that the animal was walking with a limp.
Located near Ouray, the trackway is one of the most continuous and tightly curved sauropod footprint trails ever recorded.
Dr. Anthony Romilio of The University of Queensland's Dinosaur Lab studied more than 130 footprints spread across the 95.5-meter track.
"This was left in the Late Jurassic when long-necked dinosaurs such as Diplodocus and Camarasaurus roamed North America," Dr. Romilio said.
"This trackway is unique because it is a complete loop.
"While we may never know why this dinosaur curved back on itself, the trackway preserves an extremely rare chance to study how a giant sauropod handled a tight, looping turn before resuming its original direction of travel."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in