Researchers from the University of Alaska have found the largest fossil trail in Alaska that contains the largest number of ancient lizard footprints in Denali National Park. The 70-million-year-old formation, which contains dinosaur tracks in several layers, has been named the Colosseum due to its sheer size.
The Dino Colosseum is currently a horizontal rock wall with twenty floors. Of course, the dinos didn’t spend the end of the Cretaceous climbing rocks—they originally came here to drink, and the layers preserving the ruins were shifted to a fixed position by plate tectonics over millions of years.
The find’s discoverer, Patrick Druckenmiller, said they didn’t notice the tracks at first because they were searching on the ground after a tiring seven-hour walk. But Sunset put things in a different light.
When the sun is at the right angle, the footprints are absolutely stunning. When we saw it, we were totally shocked, and then Pat told me to bring my camera
Druckenmiller’s colleague Dustin Stewart recalled the moment.
According to scientists, the area used to be a forested area with a warm climate. Most of the traces were left by herbivorous dinosaurs, but in addition to waterfowl, traces of birds of prey and tyrannosaurs were found.
(University of Alaska Fairbanks)
