Hiker discovers first trace of entire prehistoric ecosystem in Italian Alps

Melting snow and ice has revealed footprints of reptiles and amphibians, dating back 280 million years

A hiker in the northern Italian Alps has stumbled across the first trace of what scientists believe to be an entire prehistoric ecosystem, including the well-preserved footprints of reptiles and amphibians, brought to light by the melting of snow and ice induced by the climate crisis.

The discovery in the Valtellina Orobie mountain range in Lombardy dates back 280 million years to the Permian period, the age immediately prior to dinosaurs, scientists say.