In a remarkable discovery in the Italian Alps, climate change is unveiling ancient fossils as glaciers and snowfields melt. Researchers, utilizing helicopters, are exploring a rich fossil world at altitudes of 3,000 meters, offering unprecedented insights into the flora and fauna of bygone eras.
Located in the Valtellina Orobie Park in Lombardy, scientists have uncovered 280 million-year-old traces preserved in rock. Among the findings are delicate finger impressions and the marks of long, mobile tails. Even wave impressions and raindrop marks from prehistoric mud have remained intact, revealing the intricate details of ancient life.
On November 13, the Natural History Museum of Milan showcased these spectacular discoveries at a press conference. The initial fossil traces were discovered by hiker Claudia Steffensen at an elevation of 1,700 meters, who reported her findings to her friend, nature photographer Elio Della Ferrera. Della Ferrera subsequently sent images of the fossils to paleontologists at the museum.
Since summer 2023, Della Ferrera and the research team have photographed and mapped hundreds of fossil traces that continue to emerge at nearly 3,000 meters. The team has also found abundant prehistoric material in lower landslide deposits.
On layered rock fragments, footprints of tetrapods (reptiles and amphibians) and invertebrates (insects, arthropods) have been identified. These traces date back to the Permian period, which lasted from approximately 298.9 million to 251.9 million years ago and ended with a mass extinction event.
According to paleontologist Cristiano Dal Sasso, the largest footprints found belong to creatures that measured between 2 to 3 meters in length, existing long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The fossilized footprints reveal a rich tapestry of life, with at least five different animal species identified on some surfaces.
Sedimentologist Ausonio Ronchi explained that these footprints formed when the sandstones and shales were still composed of water-saturated sand and mud, located at the banks of rivers and lakes that dried seasonally. The summer sun hardened the surfaces, allowing new sediment to cover the footprints, preserving them for millions of years.
In addition to animal tracks, the Val d'Ambria region has yielded rare fossils of plant fronds, stem fragments, and seeds, providing a critical glimpse into a period of global warming hundreds of millions of years ago. This ancient warming, caused by volcanic eruptions, led to the melting of polar caps and the emergence of tropical environments, which favored reptiles over amphibians and contributed to the extinction of many other species.