On the tracks of dinosaurs

This was revealed by a research study coordinated by MUSE ‒ The Science Museum of Trento ‒ and published in 2018 by the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications. By studying the fossil tracks found in the Dolomites, which can be dated with extreme accuracy with those discovered in other parts of the world, researchers were able to literally reconstruct step-by-step how dinosaurs came to dominate the planet.

Even today, you can take a trip back in time and observe the tracks left by the large reptiles in the rocks of the gola del Bletterbach, a deep dolomite stone canyon near Val di Fiemme, which can be reached on foot, starting from Aldino or Radagno.

Another site of great interest where you can discover dinosaur tracks are the famous limestone formations of the Lavini di Marco, also mentioned in the Divine Comedy, which are located on the slopes of monte Zugna, near Rovereto. The tracks belong to herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs that lived here about 200 million years ago in the Jurassic Period. Along the 30-minute footpath, explanatory panels describe the geological history of this extraordinary prehistoric site. From April to October, on the second Saturday of the month, the Fondazione Museo Civico di Rovereto also organises guided tours for adults and children.