In Denali National Park, scientists from the University of Alaska discovered the largest known place for dinosaur tracks on Alaskan soil, which they called the “colosseum.” This impressive site in the park contains numerous footprints of dinosaurs that lived here more than 70 million years ago.

The Colosseum area consists of vertical rocks that were previously horizontal. Dinosaur tracks have remained on these rocks, which is a record of their existence. The researchers described the site in a paper published in the journal Historical Biology.

The Colosseum contains numerous prints of dinosaurs from various species, including large herbivorous dinosaurs and carnivores. The area was once part of a river system containing lakes and ponds, and the climate was warmer than today. Researchers also found traces of plants, pollen grains, and other evidence of the ancient environment.

“When our colleagues first visited the site, they saw a dinosaur trail at the base of this massive rock,” said Pat Drakenmiller, the paper’s author and director of the University of Alaska Northern Museum.

“They are beautiful,” Druckenmiller said. “You can see the shape of the toes and the texture of the skin.”

Conservation of such fossils is an important task of the National Park Service, which ensures the conservation and study of areas in their geological context. Researchers plan to continue exploring the colosseum and other dinosaur tracks in the park to uncover more secrets of the past.

These findings remind us of the wonderful ecosystem that existed on the territory of the modern park millions of years ago and add to the knowledge of the evolution of landscapes and life on Earth.