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Bolivian Tracksite Sets Record With 16,600 Dinosaur Footprints, 1,378 Swim Traces

Researchers interpret a single preserved layer as a snapshot of traffic along a Cretaceous lakeshore.

Overview

  • The Carreras Pampa surface in Bolivia’s Torotoro National Park spans roughly 80,000 square feet with 1,321 mapped trackways.
  • Researchers counted 16,600 three-toed prints plus 1,378 swim traces on one bedding plane, establishing the site as the largest documented dinosaur-track locality.
  • Most impressions are theropod-like “ghost tracks,” with sizes from about 4 to 12 inches, while scarce skeletal remains preclude species-level identifications.
  • Trackway patterns record behavior such as meandering travel, pauses, gait changes, and occasional tail drags across soft shoreline mud.
  • The team characterizes the site as an ichnologic conservation Lagerstätte and continues documentation and protection efforts.