Home / Science / Cretaceous Sea Turtles Fled Earthquake, Fossil Clues Suggest
Cretaceous Sea Turtles Fled Earthquake, Fossil Clues Suggest
23 Sep
Summary
- Over 1,000 mysterious fossilized tracks found on Monte Cònero cliffs.
- Tracks likely made by sea turtles fleeing an earthquake 80 million years ago.
- A fluxoturbidite event likely preserved these unusual seabed footprints.
Approximately 80 million years ago, a significant earthquake may have caused a mass movement of sea turtles along the seabed. This event, occurring during the Cretaceous period, is suggested by over 1,000 fossilized tracks discovered on Monte Cònero cliffs near Ancona, Italy.
The unusual impressions, preserved in a limestone slab, were found in the La Vela area. Researchers theorize that a fluxoturbidite, a type of sediment-laden flow triggered by the earthquake, covered the tracks, facilitating their preservation in a deep marine environment not typically conducive to preserving footprints.
Scientists interpret the regularly spaced, double-curved paddle marks as evidence of sea turtles moving together during the seismic disturbance. While sea turtle fossils are rare in Italy's Cretaceous rocks, this discovery, alongside another study on fossilized turtle remains, provides valuable insights into the behavior and lives of these ancient marine reptiles.
