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Footprints

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DinoTracker AI reads dinosaur footprints, hinting at earlier bird origins
technology22 days ago

DinoTracker AI reads dinosaur footprints, hinting at earlier bird origins

A mobile AI tool called DinoTracker analyzes photos or sketches of dinosaur footprints to estimate likely makers. Trained on about 2,000 real fossil footprints plus millions of simulated variations to account for distortion, it achieved roughly 90% agreement with human experts and is meant to speed fieldwork, assist researchers, and engage the public. Notably, the AI flagged several footprints over 200 million years old with bird-like features, fueling debate about whether birds evolved earlier than thought or if some early dinosaurs had bird-like feet, and it reexamined Scotland’s Isle of Skye tracks. The study, led by Helmholtz Center and the University of Edinburgh, was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

via Earth.com|
#ai#birds#dinosaurs
Ancient Coastal Footprints on Calvert Island Hint at Early Pacific Migration
science22 days ago

Ancient Coastal Footprints on Calvert Island Hint at Early Pacific Migration

Researchers found 29 distinct footprints dating to about 13,000 years ago on Calvert Island, likely from three individuals walking barefoot along the shoreline; the prints are clustered and mostly inland-facing, suggesting a gathering spot rather than a linear path and supporting the idea that early people used Pacific coastal routes to reach North America as sea levels were 6–9 feet lower. Excavation and analysis are ongoing, with findings published in PLOS One.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#archaeology#calvert-island#coastal-migration
120,000-Year-Old Footprints in Saudi Arabia Rewrite Early Human Migration
sciencearchaeology24 days ago

120,000-Year-Old Footprints in Saudi Arabia Rewrite Early Human Migration

Archaeologists report 120,000-year-old Homo sapiens footprints preserved in an ancient lake bed in Saudi Arabia’s Nefud Desert, indicating early humans occupied a wetter, greener Arabian environment and moved across the peninsula sooner than previously thought, underscoring Arabia’s important role in early human dispersals.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#arabian-peninsula#footprints#homo-sapiens
Desert Ghost Footprints Map 115,000-Year-Old Homo sapiens in Arabia
science1 month ago

Desert Ghost Footprints Map 115,000-Year-Old Homo sapiens in Arabia

Archaeologists report seven Homo sapiens footprints at the Alathar paleolake in Saudi Arabia dating to about 115,000 years ago, the earliest evidence of modern humans in the Arabian Peninsula. The prints, found among tracks of elephants and camels, were preserved in lake sediment from a brief humid interglacial and dated via luminescence; no tools or skeletal remains were found, suggesting transient movement rather than settlement. The team used 3D photogrammetry to document the impressions before erosion.

via Indian Defence Review|
#alathar-paleolake#footprints#homo-sapiens
23,000-Year-Old Footprints Rewrite North America's Arrival Timeline
science1 month ago

23,000-Year-Old Footprints Rewrite North America's Arrival Timeline

Footprints at White Sands National Park in New Mexico have been calibrated to about 23,000 years old, placing humans in North America roughly 10,000 years earlier than previously thought. Radiocarbon dating tied to pine pollen and ditch grasses, with optical luminescence supporting the age, corroborates the finding. The footprints depict activities from play to hunting, including a woman carrying a child, and researchers hope to uncover more to broaden the North American archaeological record.

via Yahoo|
#bournemouth-university#footprints#last-glacial-maximum
Ancient footprints push back North America's peopling to the Ice Age
science1 month ago

Ancient footprints push back North America's peopling to the Ice Age

Archaeologists at White Sands, New Mexico, have dated footprints to about 20,700–22,400 years ago (during the Last Glacial Maximum), strengthening the case that humans reached North America well before the Clovis-first model. Radiocarbon dating of seeds, pollen, and the mud found with the prints across three labs all converge on the same timeline, prompting a reevaluation of migration routes and lifeways, though the absence of durable artifacts remains a puzzle. The study was published in Science Advances.

via Earth.com|
#clovis-first#footprints#last-glacial-maximum
DinoTracker AI Maps Ancient Footprints from Unlabeled Imprints
science2 months ago

DinoTracker AI Maps Ancient Footprints from Unlabeled Imprints

Researchers released DinoTracker, a free app that uses unsupervised AI to compare dinosaur footprint silhouettes without relying on pre-labeled data. By analyzing eight footprint features across 2,000 unlabeled casts, the system groups prints in line with expert classifications about 90% of the time, helping palaeontologists test ideas about which animals made which prints. Notably, some Triassic–Jurassic tracks appear birdlike, suggesting birds may have deeper roots than previously thought, though the team cautions that substrate, foot motion, and other context must still be considered by experts.

via The Guardian|
#ai#dinosaurs#footprints
Gigantic Kimberley Footprints Reframe Early Cretaceous Dinosaurs
science2 months ago

Gigantic Kimberley Footprints Reframe Early Cretaceous Dinosaurs

Researchers in Western Australia’s Dampier Peninsula uncovered the largest dinosaur footprints on record, including sauropod tracks up to about 1.75 meters long, from a 130‑million‑year‑old intertidal reef system. The 25‑kilometer study zone yielded about 150 tracks across 21 morphotypes, including new ichnotaxa and the first definitive stegosaur traces in Australia, indicating Late Jurassic lineages persisted into the Early Cretaceous in Gondwana. Indigenous custodians helped block a LNG project, underscoring heritage protection and ongoing stewardship concerns.

via Indian Defence Review|
#australia#dinosaurs#early-cretaceous
Ancient Moroccan Footprints Reveal a Multigenerational Homo sapiens Trek
science2 months ago

Ancient Moroccan Footprints Reveal a Multigenerational Homo sapiens Trek

Researchers report 85 fossilized footprints on a northern Moroccan beach dating to about 90,000 years ago, likely left by at least five individuals in a multigenerational group. Preserved by clay-rich sand and rapid tidal burial, the tracks represent North Africa’s oldest known human trackway, but the site faces erosion risk and urgent documentation before it degrades.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#footprints#homo-sapiens#morocco
Neanderthal Footprints Discovered on Portugal’s Coast Challenge Human Origins
science5 months ago

Neanderthal Footprints Discovered on Portugal’s Coast Challenge Human Origins

New discoveries along Portugal's Algarve coast have revealed the first fossilized Neanderthal footprints in the region, dating back around 78,000 to 82,000 years. These footprints provide direct evidence of Neanderthal behavior, movement, and social structure, indicating they explored coastal environments and had a diverse diet including deer, horses, and marine resources. This challenges previous ideas about Neanderthal ecology and highlights their adaptability to coastal habitats.

via SciTechDaily|
#archaeology#footprints#neanderthal