Dino Footprints Unearthed in Stelvio National Park, Italy: A Glimpse into a 210-Million-Year-Old World
Thousands of ancient dinosaur footprints have been uncovered in northern Italy’s Stelvio National Park, dating back roughly 210 million years. Some prints reach as wide as 40 cm (about 15 inches) and appear arranged in orderly, parallel lines. Many show distinct toe and claw marks, offering a rare window into how these creatures moved.
Experts believe the track-makers were prosauropods—early, long-necked herbivores with sharp claws and relatively small heads. “I never imagined I’d witness such a spectacular find in the region I call home,” remarked Milan-based paleontologist Cristiano Dal Sasso.
The discovery was initially glimpsed last September when a photographer noticed footprints extending for hundreds of meters along a sheer mountain face in Stelvio National Park, situated northeast of Milan. During the Triassic period (roughly 250–201 million years ago), this wall would have been a tidal flat, later becoming part of the Alpine belt.
Dal Sasso emphasized the site’s scientific significance, describing it as a vast natural treasure where ancient herds likely moved in coordinated groups. He noted traces suggesting more complex behaviors, including clusters of animals gathering in circles—possibly as a defense strategy.
The prosauropods responsible for these marks could grow up to about 10 meters (33 feet) in length. While they typically walked on two legs, some footprints are paired with hand impressions forward of the footprints, indicating moments when these creatures paused and rested on their forelimbs.
Photographer Elio Della Ferrera of Arch. PaleoStelvio expressed hope that the find would inspire reflection about our limited understanding of the places we inhabit and our planet as a whole.
Given the site’s remoteness and lack of accessible trails, officials from Italy’s culture ministry plan to use drones and remote sensing tools to study the footprints further.
Stelvio National Park sits in the Fraele Valley near Italy’s border with Switzerland, in a region close to where the next Winter Olympics will be hosted. The Ministry of Culture added that the discovery feels like history paying homage to a major global sporting event, merging ancient nature with modern sport in a symbolic handoff between past and present.
