Photo report

World's longest sauropod dinosaur trackway brought to light

In 2009, the world's largest dinosaur tracks were discovered in the French village of Plagne, in the Jura Mountains.

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Since then, a series of excavations at the site has uncovered other tracks, sprawling over more than 150 meters. They form the longest sauropod trackway ever to be found. Having compiled and analyzed the collected data, which is published in Geobios, scientists from the Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon (CNRS / ENS de Lyon / Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University), the Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans (CNRS / Université Clermont Auvergne / Université Jean Monnet / IRD), and the Pterosaur Beach Museum conclude these tracks were left 150 million years ago by a dinosaur at least 35 m long and weighing no less than 35 t.
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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry. Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Empreintes laissées par le passage d'un crustacé ayant occupé le site à la même période que les dinosaures. Ces indices permettent de renseigner les paléontologues sur la vie dans cette région au jurassique supérieur. Site paléontologique de Plagne (Ain), découvert le 5 avril 2009 par Marie-Hélène Marcaud et Patrice Landry. Sur ce site ont été mises au jour des empreintes de très grande taille, de 1,20 m à 1,50 m de diamètre au total, laissées par des dinosaures sauropodes (grands dinosaures au…

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Empreintes laissées par un crustacé ayant occupé le site de Plagne
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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Open media modal

Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Open media modal

Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the largest found to date. Furthermore, the…

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Prints from sauropod dinosaurs
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Empreintes laissées par le passage d'un mollusque ayant occupé le site à la même période que les dinosaures. Ces indices permettent de renseigner les paléontologues sur la vie dans cette région au jurassique supérieur. Site paléontologique de Plagne (Ain), découvert le 5 avril 2009 par Marie-Hélène Marcaud et Patrice Landry. Sur ce site ont été mises au jour des empreintes de très grande taille, de 1,20 m à 1,50 m de diamètre au total, laissées par des dinosaures sauropodes (grands dinosaures…

Photo
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Empreintes laissées par un crustacé ayant occupé le site de Plagne
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Open media modal

Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry. Prints from sauropod dinosaurs, giant herbivores with long necks, were found in Plagne, near Lyon, France. Discovered by Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry, two nature enthusiasts, the dinosaur prints have been authenticated by Jean-Michel Mazin and Pierre Hantzpergue, both of the Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphères laboratory (CNRS / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1). According to the researchers' initial analyses, these dinosaur traces are the…

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Marie-Hélène Marcaud and Patrice Landry and prints from sauropod dinosaurs

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