Imagine a time when dinosaurs could walk from Africa to South America! Scientists have discovered over 260 matching dinosaur tracks on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, proving exactly that. Found in present-day northern Cameroon and northeastern Brazil, these ancient footprints offer stunning evidence of a time around 120 million years ago when these two continents were still connected. This remarkable find not only maps an ancient migration route but also provides a unique look at the final moments before the supercontinent Gondwana split apart, creating the South Atlantic Ocean.
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Uncovering the Dinosaur Dispersal Corridor
The incredible discovery began with studying dinosaur footprints preserved in sedimentary rocks. Researchers, led by paleontologist Louis L. Jacobs, examined sites in the Koum Basin of Cameroon and the Borborema region (specifically the Sousa Basin) of Brazil. Despite being separated by over 3,700 miles today, the footprints found in these two locations showed striking similarities, almost like identical twins preserved in stone.
These sites were once part of a continuous land bridge known as the Dinosaur Dispersal Corridor. Picture it: 120 million years ago, this wasn’t a vast ocean but a landscape of expansive river valleys and wetlands where dinosaurs roamed freely.
Louis Jacobs explained the significance of the matching tracks: “In their geological and plate tectonic contexts, they were also similar. In terms of their shapes, they are almost identical.” This similarity strongly suggests that dinosaurs used this corridor to move between the landmasses we now call Africa and South America just before the Atlantic Ocean grew wide enough to separate them completely. The footprints provide direct evidence of dinosaurs living in similar environments and walking on similar ground on both sides of the ancient land bridge.
Two representative theropod tracks from the Koum Basin in northern Cameroon. Credit: SMU
Rivers as Ancient Highways
These isn’t just about dry land; ancient rivers and lakes were crucial to this story. The dinosaur footprints were preserved in sediments left behind by these waterways in what were once vast floodplains. These river valleys, rich with water and vegetation, created ideal habitats and natural pathways for prehistoric life.
As Jacobs noted, “Rivers flowed and lakes formed in the basins. Plants fed the herbivores and supported a food chain.” This environment wasn’t just a path; it was a thriving ecosystem. The presence of tracks from both large plant-eating dinosaurs and meat-eating theropods indicates that these river valleys served as vital “highways” for movement across the land bridge.
“Muddy sediments left by the rivers and lakes contain dinosaur footprints, including those of meat-eaters, documenting that these river valleys could provide specific avenues for life to travel across the continents 120 million years ago,” Jacobs added. The rivers and lakes were not just sources of life but also crucial corridors enabling migration during a time of dramatic geological change.
Single, clear theropod dinosaur footprint in rock from Brazil.
Witnessing Gondwana’s Final Split
These matching footprints offer a rare glimpse into the final stages of the breakup of Gondwana, the ancient supercontinent that included most of the landmasses in today’s Southern Hemisphere. Around 140 million years ago, Gondwana began to break apart due to tectonic forces. The South Atlantic Ocean started to form slowly.
However, for a period around 120 million years ago, a narrow connection, the Dinosaur Dispersal Corridor, still existed between what is now Africa and South America. The tracks found there capture life on this bridge just before it was submerged by the expanding ocean.
This finding is incredibly important for understanding continental drift. While scientists knew the continents were separating, finding direct evidence of life crossing this specific corridor at that specific time confirms hypotheses about species movement and helps refine the timeline of Gondwana’s fragmentation. It underscores the dynamic history of our planet and how interconnected life was, even across lands now separated by vast oceans.
This discovery deepens our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems and provides concrete evidence for Earth’s dramatic geological past, showing how life persisted and migrated even as continents were slowly tearing apart.
You can learn more about the study published by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science here.
