The newly discovered theropod and sauropod tracks are part of the Late Jurassic Majala Formation and represent the oldest dinosaur tracks recorded from Chile and the western edge of the ancient supercontinent Gondwanaland.
Paleoartistic reconstruction of Quebrada Huatcondo in the Late Jurassic era. Image credit: Nahuel Vazquez.
“The Late Jurassic fossil record shows marked differences in the abundance and distribution of dinosaur tracks between Laurasia and Gondwana,” said Dr Marco Jurak of the Unidad de Patrimonio Paleontológico and colleagues.
“In Europe alone, several sites have been reported, including in Italy, Croatia, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, France, Germany and Portugal.”
“In addition, there are extensive traces of abundant technological evidence in North America.”
“In contrast, the record of dinosaurs in Gondwanaland is noticeably more limited and fragmented. Notable exceptions are footprint outcrops in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco.”
“Apart from this, the ichnological evidence is relatively sparse, with only a few records from Australia.
“In South America, most dinosaur tracks are concentrated along the eastern edge of the continent, especially in Brazil, Guyana and Uruguay, with additional reports from northern regions such as Colombia.”
“In contrast, on the western edge of South America, corresponding to the western limit of Gondwanaland, Late Jurassic dinosaur tracks have been found exclusively from Chile.”
A path with four successive tracks of a large three-toed caterpillar in the Maiala Formation of Chile. Image credit: Yurak etc.., doi: 10.1186/s13358-025-00419-9.
Paleontologists have identified a total of five levels containing traces in the Maiala Formation in the Quebrada-Huatacondo region of Chile.
The tracks were left by theropod and sauropod dinosaurs approximately 160 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic era.
“About 160 million years ago, northern Chile experienced cycles of floods and droughts,” the researchers explained.
“Although the climate was largely arid, seasonal accumulation of water created ephemeral wetlands that attracted animals of all sizes, from small theropods to huge carnivorous dinosaurs.”
“When dinosaurs walked through the wet mud near these water sources, their tracks were left in the soft sediment.”
“The subsequent flood gently washed away the tracks, preserving them for millions of years.”
The Majala footprints indicate the presence of giant (51 to 52.8 cm long), large (43.5 to 46.5 cm long) and medium-sized (25 to 27 cm long) theropod dinosaurs.
On one surface there are more than 25 traces of the smallest and smallest theropods (the length of the traces is from 8 to 13 cm).
“These footprints represent the smallest theropod footprints recorded so far in Chile and possibly the entire western edge of Gondwanaland,” the scientists said.
The other surface represents the only stratigraphic level that exclusively shows sauropod tracks (potentially blinded).
“Due to poor preservation, quantitative measurements could not be made,” the authors said.
“However, analysis of the digital model suggests that there are at least 9 tracks that show a direction that could correspond to a possible path.”
Paleontologists say their findings represent the oldest dinosaur tracks known from Chile and the western edge of Gondwana.
“These tracks provide key evidence for reconstructing the paleoecological and behavioral dynamics of dinosaurs in northern Chile during the Late Jurassic, reflecting episodic occupation of semi-arid floodplains and ephemeral wetlands,” they concluded.
The discovery is reported in paper V Swiss Journal of Paleontology.
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M. Yurak etc.. 2025. Upper Jurassic dinosaur tracks from the Maiala Formation in the Huatacondo area (Tarapaca Basin, Chile): reassessment of known sites and discovery of new tracks. Swiss J. Paleontol 144, 72; two: 10.1186/s13358-025-00419-9
