The 27 individual footprints were unearthed in Victoria, Australia by Melissa Lowery, a volunteer fossil hunter and a study has been conduced showing they survived for up to 128 million years
Ancient footprints which date back 120 million years have been found and they are so perfectly preserved that scientists know exactly what created them.
A woman discovered the fossilised foot markings of birds in Victoria, Australia – the oldest known evidence of the winged creatures in the southern hemisphere. Since the find a study has been conducted by Emory University in Atlanta and was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The research confirms that early birds made it to southern polar environments, and the footprints that have survived for up to 128 million years. Prof Anthony Martin, a palaeontologist at the university, distinguish the tracks as birds right away after being sent photos.
Melissa Lowery, a volunteer fossil hunter, was out looking for dinosaur remains but came across something very special instead. “The shadows fell into these gorgeous little shapes, they were so familiar,” she told the Guardian. “I stood staring at these shapes for around 10 minutes, it was a moment of pure joy and total wonder. As an avid bird watcher for many years, to hear that I had found the footprints of birds was absolutely amazing.”
The discovery of the 27 bird tracks led researchers to suggest the animals might have been drawn to the area as part of a migratory route. Professor Martin noticed the toes were spread at an angle greater than 90 degrees and the sharp claws embedded in the rock.
The authors, led by Professor Martin said: “We are very excited to document that a variety of birds were living in polar Australia during the Early Cretaceous Period. But we also hope our trace fossil discovery inspires other researchers to look for and find more Early Cretaceous bird tracks elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.”
Back in March, fossils were found in the country that belonged to a species of extinct giant eagles. The extinct bird also had a massive wingspan of almost 10 feet, making it Australia’s largest known predatory bird. Researchers unearthed the bones in a huge vertical cave.
Experts estimated that the eagles lived between 50,000 and 700,000 years ago. Trevor Worthy, a vertebrate paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia, said “It was humongous”. Among the fossils collected were wings, legs, talons, a breastbone, and a skull.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
