Old tracks show protodinosaurs emerged millions of years earlier than previously though

Before a few months ago, scientists believed that the oldest set of fossils found after the massive Triassic extinction was around 248 to 242 million years ago. Recently, paleontologists have found fossils that date all the way back to about 250 million years ago. Scientists have taken samples of the three sets of tracks in modern day Poland and have discovered that the fossils cover a span of four million years and lived in three different ecosystems. These fossils that were found are not from bigger dinosaurs like the T-Rex but from smaller dinosaurs.The tracks that were found in Stryczowice were from a dinosaur that was around 20 millimeters long. The second set of tracks found in Baranow were around 120 to 140 millimeters long and date back to 246 million years ago. This find represents the earliest find of bipedality in dinosaurs which is basically using two limbs to move around instead of four. The last set of tracks were found in Wiory and date back sometime in between those that were found in Stryczowice and Baranow. Dinosaur tracks are often rare finds and most known fossils were left by the bigger dinosaurs which lived for the first 20 to 30 million years of dinosaur history and were more like their crocodile-like cousins. The oldest dinosaurs were small and very rare. Scientists believe that dinosaur tracks might be an important place to look for nw clues about earlier dinosaurs, especially since the fossil group is so small. I bleieve that this article is important because it not only has to deal with ancient creatures that lived on earth, but also evolution in those creatures. There will always be those people who think evolution is a scam but for those of us who believe it, finds like these can help us better understand how evolution works and how long it takes for it to take place.

-Bryan Poole