A groundbreaking study has revealed the Phoenix Trackway, the longest documented set of footprints made by a bipedal predator in East Asia. Find out about the incredible giant trackway at the Hanxi Cretaceous Dinosaur Tracksite in Sichuan Province, China. It has 80 consecutive footprints in a row that cover an incredible 70 meters!
Dr. Anthony Romilio from the University of Queensland’s Dinosaur Lab and Professor Lida Xing from China University of Geosciences led the analysis and reconstruction of the trackway. Using cutting edge digital modeling techniques, they were able to reconstruct the ancient predator’s 40-second trek. This is the first research to provide an inside perspective on its movements and behaviors.
Essentially, the Phoenix Trackway preserves just one precious instant frozen in rock. Local legends long claimed its creation was the work of a fabled phoenix. However, scientific analysis confirms that these footprints were made by an ancient predator, similar in size to the feathered Yutyrannus, which roamed northeastern China during the early Cretaceous period. This dinosaur would have been about 3 ft 9 in (1.13 m) tall at the hip and would have weighed about 645 lb (292 kg).
Dr. Romilio emphasized the significance of this discovery, stating, “Trackways can reveal behavioral information and stories that fossilized bones alone cannot provide.” The research team’s digital approach permits the preservation of all measurements and calculations related to analyzed fossil track sites.
“Our entirely digital approach allows us to capture, interpret and preserve all the measurements and calculations of fossil track sites on computer to provide a glimpse into the dynamic life of an ancient creature.” – Dr. Anthony Romilio
As for the reconstruction of the Phoenix Trackway, it has greatly informed our understanding of how this dinosaur would have moved through its environment. As the following empirical analysis made clear, it was not just aimless roaming. Rather, it sailed purposefully on, with pretty much a perfect straight-line trajectory.
“For the first time, this dinosaur’s movements have been reconstructed step by step, revealing how it walked, changed pace and responded to its environment,” Dr. Romilio noted.
The results of this research were published in the journal Geosciences, representing a dramatic breakthrough in paleontological research. The Phoenix Trackway advances our knowledge of dinosaur locomotion. It’s a great reminder of the weird, wonderful lives ancient animals led.