Fossilized Dinosaur Footprints from the Early Cretaceous, Approximately 120 Million Years Ago, have recently been discovered in the mountainous region of Long Mountain Town, Lufeng City, Yunnan Province, China.
Fossilized dinosaur footprints at the site. (Photo: Xinhua News Agency).
According to experts from the Dinosaur Fossil Research and Conservation Center in Lufeng City, the number of fossilized dinosaur footprints discovered this time is significant, with a diverse range of types, setting a new record for the quantity of dinosaur footprints found in this area, totaling over 400 fossils. Stratigraphic comparisons in situ indicate that the rock formation where the dinosaur footprints are imprinted dates back approximately 120 million years.
Xinhua News Agency reports that Wang Dao, the director of the Dinosaur Fossil Research and Conservation Center in Lufeng City, stated that the fossilized dinosaur footprints discovered have been categorized into three types from three different species. Long Mountain Town in Lufeng City, Yunnan, is a hotspot for dinosaur fossil footprints. However, this is the first time a large and diverse quantity of dinosaur footprints has been discovered, suggesting that many species of dinosaurs may have lived in the Lufeng area.
Wang Dao speculates that this area may have previously been part of a lakeside environment, surrounded by dense vegetation. When dinosaurs came to drink water, they left their footprints in the mud.
Since 1938, over 120 dinosaur fossils have been excavated in the Lufeng area. This recent discovery is significant in demonstrating that during the Cretaceous period, a large and diverse population of dinosaurs still inhabited the Lufeng area, as well as contributing to future searches for dinosaur fossils from the Cretaceous period. Currently, site surveys and related research are ongoing.
