Scientists have confirmed that a group of fossilized tracks found in Northwest China were left by flesh-eating dinosaurs over 120 million years ago, providing insights into the social behaviors of these ancient creatures.

The track site is located in Wulan town, Gansu province.

Scientists discovered at least 67 three-toed tracks on a cliff at the base of a 6.2-square-meter sandstone. The lengths of these tracks range from 11 centimeters to 21 cm.

Scientists estimated that the creatures had a hip height between 60 cm and 90 cm, with the largest one having a body length of up to 2.5 meters, and identified them as belonging to Grallator ssatoi — a carnivorous dinosaur that roamed the Earth during the Cretaceous period.

The study results were recently published online in the international journal Historical Biology.

According to the study, the area where the track site is located was submerged by the Yellow River until a few decades ago. In the 1970s, as rock walls were blasted and roads constructed, these tracks were likely exposed.

A resident recalled discovering these unusual footprints in 2006. Recognizing their potential significance as dinosaur tracks, she reported her findings to the local cultural relics bureau in 2020.

In June 2023, researchers had the opportunity to examine the site.

The site is situated about 100 kilometers east of the Lower Cretaceous Hekou Group, an area renowned for having one of the highest diversities of Cretaceous four-footed tracks in China. To date, 31 Lower Cretaceous tetrapod footprint sites have been recorded there, featuring over 1,000 dinosaur tracks, including a wide variety of three-toed theropod footprints, such as those belonging to Grallator, Eubrontes and Asianopodus.

Such dense tracks can also offer insights into the behavior of the creatures who made the tracks.

According to lead author Xing Lida, associate professor at the China University of Geosciences in Beijing, previous studies have shown that some groups of small biped dinosaurs had demonstrated gregarious behavior.

In the new study, scientists discovered 12 similar-sized tracks. Some of them run parallel to each other, moving in the same direction — which indicates that these species might have exhibited social behavior.

"Such behavior could have been a strategy for small dinosaurs to protect themselves from predators," said Xing. "By staying close to one another, they may have reduced the pressure on each individual to remain vigilant."

The dinosaur expert also noted some surprises produced by the study.

"Some of the tracks feature lateral drag marks, which suggest that while walking, the dinosaurs may have slipped sideways but were able to regain their balance promptly," Xing told Xinhua.

These well-preserved footprints offer new scientific evidence concerning the distribution of dinosaurs in China and provide clues that can help scholars gain a deeper understanding of dinosaur footprints and behaviors.

The reconstructed tracks hold significant scientific and educational value, Xing said, adding, "They are much like a prehistoric documentary, bringing to life the world of dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period."

Xinhua