Discovery of Identical Dinosaur Tracks Across the Atlantic Ocean

Two representative theropod tracks from the Koum Basin in northern Cameroon. Credit: SMU

A groundbreaking discovery by ⁣an international ⁤team of scientists, led by renowned paleontologist Louis ⁢L. ⁢Jacobs from SMU, has unveiled‍ identical sets of dinosaur footprints from the Early Cretaceous period on separate continents.

Over 260 footprints were ⁤unearthed in⁢ Brazil and Cameroon, showcasing the ancient pathways⁣ where dinosaurs roamed freely between South America and Africa before the continents‌ drifted apart millions of years ago.

“These footprints share striking similarities in age, geological context, and shape,” Jacobs‍ revealed. “They offer⁢ a glimpse into a time when these majestic creatures traversed a single supercontinent, Gondwana, before it⁤ split from Pangea.”

The footprints, preserved in mud and silt‌ along prehistoric water bodies, were found⁢ thousands of miles apart. They were imprinted by‌ dinosaurs 120 million years ago, during a time when Africa and South America were connected along a narrow⁢ strip in northeastern Brazil and Cameroon’s Gulf of Guinea coast.

<p"The geological link between Africa and South America provided a ⁣passage for animals to cross over," Jacobs elaborated. "This discovery sheds light on the ancient landscapes and ecosystems that existed during‍ the age of dinosaurs."

Most of the ‌footprints belong to three-toed theropod dinosaurs, with a⁤ few possibly left by ⁤sauropods or ornithischians, according to Diana ‌P.⁢ Vineyard, a co-author‌ of the study and research ‌associate at SMU.

2024-08-25 13:15:04
Original ⁣article available at phys.org