Older land footsteps

2002/06/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Paleontologia
• Arkeologia

Researchers from Great Britain and Canada believe they have found the oldest landmarks found. They say they are 530 million years ago, a large group of louse and lobster sized animals deposited in the dunes of a beach in southeastern Canada. Affirming the antiquity of footprints, some important biological theories would be turned upside down. It is believed that animals landed because they could feed on terrestrial plants, but Canadian footprints are prior to the appearance of plants. But it is very difficult to date such old dunes.

However, the researchers do not believe that these animals lived on land, but that they ventured in search of food (something like moss) or to make offspring. The owners of the footprints, apparently, were something between crustaceans and insects, about 50 centimeters long and with 16-22 legs. It seems that they also had tail dragged. All this comes from 25 rows of footsteps.