Archive · 23 Jan 2026
130-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Footprints Found In Australia
Scientists in Australia found really big dinosaur footprints that are about 130 million years old.
These footprints are so large that one step from these dinosaurs could have covered a whole person.
The footprints were found on a coastline and show that many different types of dinosaurs lived there, including some that were new to science.
The area is very important because it helps us learn about what life was like for dinosaurs a long time ago.
The local Indigenous people, called the Goolarabooloo, have known about these footprints for a long time and helped protect them.
Because of this discovery, the area was added to a special list to keep it safe from development.
Enormous dinosaur footprints, up to 1.75 meters long, were discovered on the Dampier Peninsula in Australia.
The footprints date back to the Early Cretaceous period, around 130 million years ago.
Scientists identified 21 different types of footprints, including six new species, indicating a diverse ecosystem.
The site is culturally significant to the Goolarabooloo Traditional Custodians, who have protected it through songlines.
The discovery led to the coastline being added to the National Heritage List in 2011, preventing a proposed LNG plant.
- Who
- Scientists and Goolarabooloo Traditional Custodians
- What
- Discovery of 130-million-year-old dinosaur footprints
- When
- Footprints date back to the Early Cretaceous period; studies conducted between 2011 and 2016
- Where
- Dampier Peninsula, Australia
- Why
- To understand prehistoric ecosystems and protect significant cultural and scientific sites
- Location
- Dampier Peninsula, Australia
- Age of Footprints
- 130 million years old
- Footprint Size
- Up to 1.75 meters long
- Period
- Early Cretaceous
- Number of Tracksites
- 48
- Footprint Types
- 21 different types
- New Footprint Species
- 6
- Protection Status
- National Heritage List (2011)