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Slowest Meat-Eating Dinosaur Tracks Found in China
7 May
Summary
- Fossil tracks reveal a slow-moving theropod dinosaur, 134 million years old.
- Dinosaur walked at a pace of 0.28 m/s, about 1 km per hour.
- Microbial mats preserved the ancient footprints for over 100 million years.
Fossil tracks unearthed in North China provide evidence of one of the slowest meat-eating dinosaurs ever recorded. The three-toed theropod dinosaur, dating back at least 134 million years, moved at a mere 0.28 meters per second, or about 1 kilometer per hour. This slow pace suggests the creature may have paused frequently or ambled along, a behavior quite unlike the swift speeds usually associated with theropods.
The discovery was made at two sites in the Xuanhua area of Hebei province, within the Tuchengzi Formation. Researchers analyzed numerous footprints, noting stride lengths comparable to a toddler's steps. These findings are significant as most theropod tracks indicate much faster locomotion, with other tracks found at the same sites suggesting speeds of over 9 km/h.
Remarkably, these ancient footprints were preserved for over 100 million years due to a layer of microbial mats. These mats acted as a natural film, protecting the tracks from erosion. The research also identified sauropod tracks, adding to the understanding of the ancient dinosaur community in the region. This find highlights the value of dinosaur tracks in revealing behaviors and environmental interactions that bone fossils alone cannot convey.
