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The fossil footprint expert Conner Bennett and his team have just shared in Electronic Paleontology a work that has left the entire scientific community speechless. The reason is none other than the discovery in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument of a series of footprints that are no less than 50 million years old and explain certain behaviors of some prehistoric creatures.
It is a long list of footprints that belonged to various species, from birds to mammals and even invertebrates from tens of millions of years ago. All of them have been recovered by means of advanced 3D imaging techniques that allow us to clearly visualize these marks.
Regarding those belonging to birds, Bennett argues: "This prehistoric behavior from 50 million years ago still prevails today in modern shorebirds. It's fascinating. It's an incredibly long time for a species to exhibit the same feeding patterns as its ancestors."
All kinds of species and their ancient behaviors
The footprints, found in various layers, give an insight into the types of species that ed through the area centuries ago. For example, birds and invertebrates, whose marks suggest they date back some 50 million years. In addition, lizards (50), feline predators (29) and tapirs or rhinoceroses (29).
"These tracks provide exceptional insight into ancient ecosystems. They add behavioural context to the body fossils we have collected over the years and help us better understand the climate and environmental conditions of prehistoric Oregon," argues Dr Nicholas Famoso, who is in charge of leading the palaeontology programme at the monument.
"Fossil footprints not only help us confirm the existence of these animals in this time and place, but also tell us how they lived," Bennett says excitedly in Palaeontologia Electronica.