Stepping Stones to a 190 Million Year Secret
Two brothers in southwestern China have been shocked to learn that rocks they used as simple stepping stones for decades are 190-million-year-old dinosaur footprint fossils.
In This Article:
Discovery in Wuli: The Ding brothers find rocks with 'chicken claw prints' while quarrying in 1998
According to Guangming Daily, while quarrying stone in 1998, the Ding brothers found rocks with 'chicken claw prints' and used them as stepping stones.
Study results and backstory revealed
On November 29, researchers completed a study into dinosaur tracks found decades ago in Wuli village, Sichuan province. The mainland media then revealed that the rocks have a fascinating backstory.
Wuli village and Zigong's dinosaur heritage
Wuli village, where they lived, is in Zigong city and is known as the 'home of Chinese dinosaurs' in the southern Sichuan Basin. In the 1970s and 1980s, Zigong city gained fame for the Dashanpu Middle Jurassic Dinosaur Fossil Site. It was home to 200 dinosaur and vertebrate fossils, including rare pterosaurs and dinosaur skin. A dinosaur museum was built at the site.
