Huge unknown mammal tracks found in African diamond mine
Photo by Marco Marzola, one of the researchers.
The tracks of a huge mysterious mammal dating to the Early Cretaceous period have been discovered in Angola’s Catoca diamond mine, the world’s fourth-largest.
Researchers from the PaleoAngola Project, a programme that examines vertebrate palaeontology in Angola, uncovered over 70 tracks, dating to 118 million years ago.
Mammal track. (Photo by Marco Marzola)
Besides the large unknown mammal footprints, they also found evidence of dinosaurs and large crocodiles, the experts said in a statement.
Dinosaur track.(Photo by Marco Marzola)
The dinosaur tracks – the first to be found in the African nation – were from a sauropod and were discovered with a preserved skin impression. The crocodile, a crocodilomorph trackmaker, was from a group that includes all modern species.
Mammal tracks. (Photo by Marco Marzola)
Images courtesy of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.
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8 Comments
Lois Johnson
Thanks Cecilia. Very interesting find.
Mark Harder
Animal tracks in Kimberlite? How did that happen?
The Real John Smith
I’m sorry that you think 3 cm is huge…..
Rich Meyer
Very cool.
awd
Looks more like a reptile or an amphibian to me. But what do I know, right?
Hopkirk
How could you possibly say that it is a mammal if you have
nothing but tracks???
redhedkev
At least they did not “blast” it away to stay on schedule and not have those pesky archaeologists gum up the money machine.
“Nothing to see here… move along…move along…more diamonds!”
Paul Z
the tracks / imprints are in sediments that form part of the kimberlite volcanic crater. nothing to do with alluvials as such.