E-Paper
Brothers in China stunned to learn their stepping stones are 190-million-year-old dinosaur fossils
Two Chinese brothers were shocked after learning their old stepping stones were 190 million year old dinosaur footprints
Two brothers in southwestern China were astonished to learn that the rocks they had casually used as stepping stones for more than twenty years were in fact 190 million year old dinosaur footprint fossils.
According to a report by South China Morning Post, the discovery came to light after researchers completed a detailed study on November 29 into dinosaur tracks that had been found decades earlier in Wuli village in Sichuan province. Mainland media later revealed the extraordinary story behind the unassuming stones.
Origins of the remarkable slabs
As reported by Guangming Daily and cited by SCMP, the Ding brothers first came across the unusual rocks in 1998 while quarrying stone. They noticed what they described as “chicken claw prints” on the slabs but thought little of them and placed the stones around their home as practical stepping points. Wuli village, located in Zigong city, sits within the southern Sichuan Basin and is known as the “home of Chinese dinosaurs”. Zigong attracted international attention in the 1970s and 1980s after the discovery of the Dashanpu Middle Jurassic Dinosaur Fossil Site which contained over two hundred dinosaur and vertebrate fossils including rare pterosaurs and traces of dinosaur skin. A dedicated dinosaur museum was later established at the site.
Online curiosity leads to scientific breakthrough
In 2017, as public interest in dinosaurs grew in the region, the daughter of one of the Ding brothers uploaded photographs of the flat stones to the internet, hoping to learn more about their origins. The images showed sharp claw impressions, circular markings and linear traces which quickly drew the attention of experts at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum. Within a month, researchers confirmed that the stones were genuine dinosaur footprint fossils. With the permission of the Ding family, the slabs were transferred to the museum for examination and preservation.
Scientific findings and ancient behaviour
Chinese scientists have now published their analysis of the Wuli village fossils in the Journal of Palaeogeography. Their study focused on eight stone slabs containing a total of 413 footprints dating back to the Early Jurassic period, roughly 180 million to 190 million years ago. The researchers concluded that most tracks belonged to Grallators and Eubrontes which were theropod dinosaurs exhibiting a “ground running” gait similar to that of modern birds. They are believed to have moved at speeds of between 5.8 and 8.6 kilometres per hour.
As noted by SCMP, the research team also identified rare tail drag marks on some rocks. Associate professor Xing Lida of the China University of Geosciences in Beijing said these traces were likely created when dinosaurs were moving slowly, pausing to observe their surroundings or displaying aggressive behaviour.
