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Bird tracks 210 million years old discovered in Africa: the oldest on the planet

Maria Tsikhotska

Bird tracks 210 million years old discovered in Africa: the oldest on the planet
Traces of bird-like dinosaurs do not match any known fossils from this time in Earth's history.

The study, published in PLOS ONE, was conducted by scientists from the University of Florida and the University of South Africa. They analyzed the traces of fossils found in different parts of Lesotho in southern Africa. Observations based on the study of samples of the genus Trisauropodiscus indicate the likelihood of their relation to the bird-like dinosaurs of the Late Triassic or Early Jurassic period.

This is reported by NV.ua.

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The authors of the study found that these traces do not match the known fossil animals of this time in the history of the Earth. They suggest that the footprints may be left by early bird ancestors or are the result of convergent evolution, where bird and reptile feet evolved separately. Thus, the discovery of these footprints extends the understanding of the first discovery of bird feet to the late Triassic, adding a new element to the puzzle of bird evolution.

As a reminder, an ancient Roman mosaic with two lions was discovered in Turkey.

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