Hiker Makes Monumental Discovery of Prehistoric Ecosystem in Italian Alps

While taking a hike through the Italian Alps, a hiker made a surprising discovery that led to the uncovering of a prehistoric ecosystem from nearly 280 million years ago.

Mountains in Italy / Unsplash

Claudia Steffensen and her husband were hiking in the northern Italian Alps when they discovered reptile and amphibian footprints imprinted on a gray rock.

"It was a very hot day last summer and we wanted to escape the heat, so we went to the mountains," Steffensen told The Guardian. "On our way back down, we had to walk very carefully along the path. My husband was in front of me, looking straight ahead, while I was looking towards my feet. I put my foot on a rock, which struck me as odd as it seemed more like a slab of cement. I then noticed these strange circular designs with wavy lines. I took a closer look and realized they were footprints."

After noticing the footprints, Steffensen sent a photograph to her close friend, Elio Della Ferrera, who studies the natural world. Her friend looked at the intriguing image and passed it to a Milan paleontologist for further examination.

Scientists mapped and examined the area where the footprints were found and determined that the imprints are from nearly 280 million years ago during the Permian Period, the last period of the Paleozoic Era. The Permian Period ended with the largest known mass extinction on Earth - a direct result of rising temperatures.

"Dinosaurs had not yet emerged at this time, but the animals responsible for the largest footprints here would still have been impressive, reaching up to 2-3 meters in length, " stated Christiano Dal Sasso, a respected paleontologist from the Natural History Museum in Milan. This discovery is now known as "Rock Zero" and is on display at Milan's Natural History Museum.

Scientists explained that this discovery is a result of the climate crisis, causing the ice, even at higher elevations, to melt.

"Last year's ice is almost gone due to the rising temperatures, which uncovers the debris area where we found the fossils," said Ausonio Ronchi, stratigraphy professor at the University of Pavia. "Blocks of rock fall down from the steep walls of the reliefs as a consequence of cracking and erosion, so we expect to find many more tracks and fossils in the coming years."

While this is an exciting discovery that contributes to scientific research, it's alarming to continue seeing the direct effects that the climate crisis is having on our environment.

Researchers will continue studying the discovery site to gather more information.