Thousands of dinosaur footprints discovered in Stelvio National Park (SNP)

Key facts

• Thousands of dinosaur footprints dating back 210 million years have been found in a national park in northern Italy.
• The footprints - some of which are up to 40cm (15in) in diameter - are aligned in parallel rows, and many show clear traces of toes and claws.
• It is thought the dinosaurs were prosauropods - herbivores with long necks, small heads and sharp claws.
• In the Triassic period - between about 250 and 201 million years ago - the wall was a tidal flat, which later became part of the Alpine chain.
• The prosauropods, which could be up to 10m (33ft) long, walked on two legs but in some cases handprints were found in front of footprints.
• The area is remote and not accessible by paths, so drones and remote sensing technology will be employed instead.
• The Stelvio National Park (SNP) is located in the Fraele valley by Italy's border with Switzerland, near where the Winter Olympics will take place next year.