Brothers in Sichuan Discover Their Stepping Stones Are 190 Million Year Old Dinosaur Fossils

Two brothers from southwestern China have been stunned to learn that the flat stones they had been using as everyday stepping stones for more than twenty years were, in fact dinosaur footprint fossils dating back nearly 190 million years. The discovery has drawn widespread attention and added a remarkable chapter to the rich paleontological history of Sichuan province.

The revelation followed a study conducted on November twenty nine in Wuli village, located in Zigong city. Zigong is known as the home of Chinese dinosaurs because of its wealth of prehistoric discoveries. The region’s fossil beds were first documented in the 1970s and 1980s, when excavations at the Dashanpu Middle Jurassic Dinosaur Fossil Site uncovered about two hundred fossils, including pterosaurs and even dinosaur skin imprints. The discoveries eventually led to the establishment of the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, one of China’s most significant dinosaur research centers.

According to Guangming Daily the Ding brothers found the unusual rocks while quarrying stone in 1998. The pieces had what they described as chicken claw prints carved into the surface, but at the time the markings seemed more curious than valuable. The brothers placed the stones outside their home and used them as stepping platforms, unaware of their scientific importance.

Interest in the rocks resurfaced in 2017 when one of the brothers’ daughters posted photographs of them online. She hoped experts could explain the unusual shapes and textures. The images quickly caught the attention of paleontologists at the Zigong museum. They noticed clear claw marks, rounded impressions and linear traces, all indicators of fossilized dinosaur footprints. Researchers visited the family a month later and confirmed that the stones were genuine dinosaur track fossils. With the Ding family’s permission the specimens were transported to the museum for detailed study.

Chinese scientists have now published their findings in the Journal of Palaeogeography. Their study examined eight stone slabs containing a total of four hundred thirteen footprints from the Early Jurassic period, estimated to be around 180 to 190 million years old. The fossils were identified as tracks left by two types of dinosaurs known as Grallators and Eubrontes. These two dinosaur groups are believed to have been slender, fast moving creatures that walked upright on two legs.

Researchers suggest the dinosaurs likely used a ground running gait similar to that of modern birds. Based on track measurements they estimate the animals moved at speeds between 5.8 and 8.6 kilometers an hour. The footprints provide valuable insight into dinosaur behavior and movement patterns during a period when early Jurassic ecosystems were expanding across what is now southern China.

For the Ding family the experience has transformed what they once regarded as ordinary stones into rare scientific treasures. Their discovery underscores how traces of ancient life can remain hidden in plain sight and how local residents sometimes play an unexpected role in uncovering the deep history of the region.