Science

Fossil footprints reveal how dinosaur ancestors gradually shifted from sprawling to upright walking

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Briefings

A research team led by Dr. Lorenzo Marchetti from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin analyzed fossil footprints of Pachychirotherium gardenaensis from the Dolomites, Italy. These early archosauriform footprints provide critical evidence for how dinosaur ancestors gradually shifted from sprawling to upright walking. The study was published in 2026, offering a snapshot of the biomechanical transition in the Late Cretaceous period.

Key points

• The study identifies Pachychirotherium gardenaensis footprints from the Dolomites, Italy, as the earliest known archosauriform footprints.
• These footprints document the biomechanical shift from sprawling to upright walking in dinosaur ancestors during the Late Cretaceous period.

Context and limitations

The evidence is limited to a single fossil site in the Dolomites, Italy, and represents a snapshot of the Late Cretaceous biomechanical transition rather than a comprehensive global analysis.

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