Scientists have uncovered dinosaur tracks dating to approximately 132 million years old along a remote section of South Africa’s Western Cape coast, marking the youngest known dinosaur tracks in the region.
The discovery extends the known presence of dinosaurs in southern Africa by about 50 million years beyond the previously youngest tracks from the Karoo Basin, which date to around 182 million years ago.
Researchers identified the tracks in the Brenton Formation, a small geological exposure measuring no more than 40 meters long and five meters wide, with cliffs rising up to five meters above the shore near Knysna.
Despite the site’s limited size, more than two dozen possible footprints were found, suggesting dinosaurs were relatively common in this area during the Early Cretaceous period.
The tracks represent only the second known set of Cretaceous dinosaur tracks identified in South Africa and the second such discovery in the Western Cape province.
Some of the footprints are preserved on flat rock surfaces, while others appear in cross-section within the coastal cliffs, providing multiple angles of preservation for study.
This finding fills a significant gap in the regional fossil record, which had become notably sparse following massive volcanic eruptions around 182 million years ago that covered much of the inland Karoo Basin in lava.
Prior to this discovery, evidence of dinosaurs in southern Africa during the Cretaceous period (145 to 66 million years ago) was extremely limited, with only one previous set of tracks known from about 140 million years ago.
The research team, working as ichnologists specializing in fossil tracks and traces, typically studies much younger coastal aeolianites (cemented sand dunes) ranging from 50,000 to 400,000 years old along the same coastline.
During their fieldwork in early 2025, the scientists had initially hoped to find a theropod tooth similar to one discovered by a 13-year-old boy in 2017 at the same location.
How the discovery reshapes understanding of dinosaur persistence
The volcanic events around 182 million years ago were previously thought to have drastically reduced dinosaur populations in southern Africa, creating a prolonged gap in the fossil record throughout much of the Jurassic period.
This new evidence demonstrates that dinosaurs not only survived the immediate aftermath of the lava flows but continued to inhabit coastal regions well into the Cretaceous, challenging assumptions about the severity and duration of the ecological disruption.
The presence of numerous tracks in a confined area indicates sustained dinosaur activity rather than isolated occurrences, suggesting viable populations maintained themselves in refuge habitats like the coastal zones.
What the track preservation reveals about ancient environments
The preservation of tracks in both plan view and cross-section within the Brenton Formation sandstone provides insights into the sedimentary conditions and coastal dynamics of the Early Cretaceous shoreline.
Such dual preservation modes allow researchers to analyze foot morphology, gait patterns, and substrate consistency with greater confidence than surface-only tracks.
The coastal setting implies that these dinosaurs inhabited environments influenced by marine processes, distinct from the predominantly inland, fluvial, and lacustrine settings preserved in the Karoo Basin’s older strata.
How old are the newly discovered dinosaur tracks?
The tracks are estimated to be approximately 132 million years old, based on geological dating of the Brenton Formation where they were found.
Why are these tracks significant for South Africa’s fossil record?
They represent the youngest known dinosaur tracks in southern Africa and only the second set of Cretaceous dinosaur tracks identified in the country, helping to fill a major gap in the fossil record following Jurassic volcanic activity.