
The Carreras Pampa website in the Torotoro National Park, Bolivia, records 1,321 trackways and 289 singular tracks, amounting to 16,600 theropod dinosaur tracks; 280 swim trackways, amounting to 1,378 swim tracks; and a number of trackways with tail traces.
Dinosaur footprints at the Carreras Pampa tracksite in the Torotoro National Park, Bolivia. Image credit: Esperante et aldoi: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0335973.
Bolivia has among the most substantial and varied records of dinosaur tracksites worldwide, covering the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous durations.
Regardless of the abundance of tracksites, extremely couple of clinical research studies have actually been released.
In a brand-new research study, Geoscience Research Institute paleontologist Raúl Esperante and his associates recorded an extraordinary range of dinosaur tracks at the Carreras Pampas tracksite in Torotoro National Park.
Throughout 9 research study areas, they discovered 16,600 tracks left by three-toed theropod dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous duration.
These tracks vary in size from small (less than 10 cm) to big (over 30 cm) and tape-record a range of dinosaur habits, consisting of running, swimming, tail dragging, and even doglegs.
“Most (80%) of the trackmakers had a hip height in between 65 cm and 1.15 m, with a higher portion in the 75 cm– 1.05 m variety,” the paleontologists stated.
“Notably, extremely couple of trackmakers surpassed a height of 1.25 m.”
The majority of these tracks are oriented approximately northwest-southeast, with ripple marks maintained in the sediment, recommending these dinosaurs were strolling along with the ancient coastline.
“The Carreras Pampas tracksite sets brand-new world records for the variety of specific dinosaur footprints, constant trackways, tail traces and swimming traces,” the scientists stated.
“This extraordinary abundance recommends this was a high-traffic location, and the parallel orientation of some footprints may suggest groups of dinosaurs taking a trip together.”
“Many more footprints stay to be checked out at this tracksite and others in Bolivia,” they included.
“This website is a sensational window into this location’s past. Not simply the number of dinosaurs were moving through this location, however likewise what they were doing as they moved through.”
“It’s fantastic operating at this website, since all over you look, the ground is covered in dinosaur tracks.”
The group’s findings appear online in the journal PLoS ONE
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R. Esperante et al2025. Morphotypes, conservation, and taphonomy of dinosaur footprints, tail traces, and swim tracks in the biggest tracksite worldwide: Carreras Pampa (Upper Cretaceous), Torotoro National Park, Bolivia. PLoS One 20 (12 ): e0335973; doi: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0335973
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