Stepping Stones in Chinese Village Reveal 190-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Tracks
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Two brothers in southwestern China made a stunning discovery: the stepping stones they used for over 20 years are ancient dinosaur fossils.
Researchers confirmed on November 29 that the stones in Wuli Village, Sichuan province, contain 190-million-year-old dinosaur footprints. The brothers had unearthed the rocks while quarrying in 1998.
According to state media, the men noticed what they thought were "chicken claw prints" on the stone slabs. Not knowing their significance, they placed the rocks in their yard as stepping stones.
The fossils remained there, walked upon daily, until experts recently identified them as tracks from the Jurassic period. The discovery highlights how significant paleontological finds can exist in plain sight within rural communities.