55-Million-Year-Old Predatory Mammal Footprint Found in Antarctica
Paleontologists have discovered a 55-million-year-old fossilized footprint on King George Island, Antarctica, marking the earliest evidence of a carnivorous mammal on the continent. The find provides rare insight into the Eocene epoch's mammalian history in a region where such fossils are exceptionally scarce.
Why it matters
This discovery fills a significant gap in the paleontological record of Antarctica, helping scientists better understand the evolution and migration of mammals after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.
A single fossilized footprint found in volcanic mud on a remote Antarctic island is the first known trackway from a mammal in Antarctica, and the earliest evidence anywhere on the continent of a carnivorous mammal.
Track-bearing slab T-373 from King George Island, Antarctica. Sclae bar – 10 mm. Image credit: Mansilla-Vera et al ., doi: 10.1007/s00300-026-03539-1.
The new specimen, a partial hand-and-foot (manus-pes) print set, dates back to the Eocene epoch, some 55 million years ago.
Labeled T-373, it was collected from the Fossil Hill Formation on King George Island’s Fildes Peninsula.
This paleontological site is so rich in preserved plants, feathers and animal traces that it is protected as an Antarctic Specially Protected Area.
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