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Claudia Steffensen and her husband were trekking in the Valtellina Orobie Mountains Park in Lombardy, Italy, in 2023 when she spotted a light grey rock adorned with ‘strange designs.’
As she inspected them more thoroughly, it became apparent that the patterns were actually impressions of animal footprints.
During the Permian time period, the era that came immediately before the time of the dinosaurs.
Further research in the area resulted in paleontologists discovering numerous fossilized footprints, which belonged to at least five species of ancient reptiles, amphibians and insects.
Researchers stated that these early animals, which existed before the dinosaurs, must have been of substantial size, measuring likely between six and 12 feet in length.
The team also uncovered impressions of plant fossils – including prints of seeds, leaves and stems, in addition to imprints of raindrops and waves on the prehistoric shores of a lake.
There were reported to be the prints preserved in ‘impressive’ detail, extending as far as ‘the imprints of fingernails and the skin of some animals’ bellies.
The researchers observed that the exceptional preservation and minute details of these fossils are a result of their historical closeness to water.
The ancient ecosystem, discovered at elevations reaching as high as 10,000 feet, and located at the lowest parts of valleys, is well-preserved within fine-grained sandstone formations.
Paleontologists have also identified claw marks and patterns from the underside of the animals.
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“The summer sun dried out those surfaces, making them hard to the point that when new water came back, it did not erase the footprints. Instead, it covered them with new clay, creating a protective layer,” Ronchi added.
The Permian period took place from 299 million to 252 million years ago.
During this period, a rapid global warming occurred, culminating in a catastrophic mass-extinction event that signaled the end of this era and resulted in the demise of approximately 90 percent of Earth’s species.
It’s unexpectedly ironic that modern global warming has made it possible to discover this ancient alpine ecosystem, as fossils were hidden under layers of snow that have thawed out due to the Earth’s rising temperatures.
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The remarkable aspect was the altitude – the artifacts were found at very great heights and were remarkably well-preserved. This is an area prone to landslides, so there were also rock fragments that exposed these fossils.
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These fossils provide a glimpse into an ancient ecosystem devastated by a severe global temperature spike. In doing so, they also serve as a warning about what’s at risk as human-caused warming approaches a catastrophic threshold.
‘These fossils … indicate a remote geological era, but with a global warming trend identical to the current one,’ the researchers stated.
We can learn a lot from our past experiences and mistakes to better understand the potential risks and consequences that we may be creating for the world today.
