Dinosaur Footprints Found In Kerman

07 January 2005

In a special project aimed at extending paleontological studies, Iranian paleontologists will identify and mould dinosaur footprints in cooperation with Iran’s Natural History museum.

Kerman province has long been called as the fossil paradise in Iran due to having many fossils from different geological periods. Experts have so far been able to identify in this region fossils of aquatics belonging to the 1st geological period, fossils of dinosaurs from Jurassic period, and fossils of mammals belonging to the 3rd geological period.

“As Kerman region is of great importance as far as discovering fossils is concerned and fossils of different types of vertebrates have been identified here, we began a special project aimed at identifying dinosaur footprints and moulding them”, Amir-hossein Kokabi-nezhad, the paleontologist of the Natural History museum told CHN.

Since the Islamic revolution took place in Iran 26 years ago, paleontological studies began only 2 years ago in Maragheh fossil region. With the aim of extending these studies, experts chose Kerman province as the 2nd region.

The dinosaur footprints in question were discovered before the Islamic revolution by the foreign experts in Zarand region in Kerman province.

Iran is among the most important countries in the world fossil-wise, with fossil regions like Maragheh, Varzaghan, and Kerman. In the last 2 years, Iranian experts have found fossils belonging to gigantic animals dating back to over 1 million years ago.

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