'Immense' collection of dinosaur footprints found in northern Italy

""This set of dinosaur footprints is one of the largest collections in all of Europe, in the whole world," Attilio Fontana, head of the Lombardy region in northern Italy, told a press conference. The tracks, which are over 200 million years old, were discovered in the Stelvio National Park, in an area between the towns of Bormio and Livigno, which host part of the games. Nature photographer Elio Della Ferrera first spotted the imprints in September in an almost vertical rocky slope."

""It's an immense scientific heritage," Dal Sasso said in the region's press release. "The parallel walks are clear evidence of herds moving in synchrony, and there are also traces of more complex behaviours, such as groups of animals gathered in a circle, perhaps for defence." (From L) Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala, Stelvio National Park communication director Franco Claretti, director of the Lombardy area of the Stelvio National Park Tommaso Sacchi,"

Hundreds of metres of dinosaur tracks, complete with toes and claws, were discovered in the Stelvio National Park between Bormio and Livigno, areas hosting part of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The tracks are preserved in Upper Triassic dolomitic rocks dating to approximately 210 million years ago. The collection extends for hundreds of metres and includes elongated bipedal footprints, some up to 40 centimetres in diameter. Parallel walks indicate synchronized herd movement, while grouped circular traces suggest possible defensive gatherings. The site was located on an almost vertical rocky slope, is currently snow-covered and off the beaten track, and an Italian team led by Cristiano Dal Sasso has begun study.

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