World’s biggest dinosaur footprints discovered at Australia’s ‘Jurassic Park’

Fossil hunters in Australia have discovered what is thought to be the world’s biggest ever dinosaur footprints.

Measuring nearly 5 feet 9 inches, the track belongs to a long-necked sauropod who roamed the area 140 million years ago.

The size beats the 3 feet 9 inches dinosaur footprint found in Bolivia last year.

Over 20 different types of fossil footprints were found in sandstone on beaches on the Dampier Peninsula, in what is being described as the country’s very own Jurassic Park.

Some of the “globally unparalleled” marks are over 1.5m in size and record the movements of the sauropods – giant creatures with long necks and tails.

Lead scientist Steve Salisbury described the find along the 25km coastline as “truly amazing”.

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He said: “It’s such a magical place – Australia’s own Jurassic Park, in a spectacular wilderness setting.

“Among the tracks is the only confirmed evidence for stegosaurs in Australia. There are also some of the largest dinosaur tracks ever recorded.”

He added to BBC News: “This is the most diverse dinosaur track fauna we’ve ever recorded.

“In this time slice (127 and 140 million years ago) in Australia, we’ve got no other record – there’s virtually no other fossils from any part of the continent.

“This is only a window, and what we see is truly amazing.”

Experts from Queensland University and James Cook University have now been brought on board to investigate the footprints.

Most of previous dinosaur fossils discovered in Australia have come from the eastern side of the country.

Top pic: Queensland University/James Cook University