'Oldest bird tracks in world' found in B.C.

Paleontologists hunting for dinosaur tracks in B.C.'s Peace Region have unexpectedly discovered tiny footprints that they believe could be amongthe oldest bird tracks in the world.

The amazing find was discoveredwhen ahuge rock slab was sent from the nearby canyons to the Peace Region Paleontology Research Centrefor analysis of tracks possibly made by the meat-eating theropodAllosaurus.

But next to the large dinosaur footprints, Tumbler Ridge paleontologist Lisa Buckleyfound four tiny tracks, likely belonging to ancient shore birds.

"[These were] little birds that would have looked a heck of a lot like the sandpipers, the plovers, and even larger wading birds like storks and herons and ibises," saidBuckley.

According to a newsrelease from Tumbler Ridge Museum vice-president Charles Helm, the canyon where the prints were discovered cuts throughrocklaid down about140 million years ago.

Helm says this makesthe tinyfootprints the oldest in thePeace Region and amongthe oldest bird tracks in the world.

Just as impressively, Helm says, at the time these rocks were formed, the Peace Region was located at alatitude of approximately 62 degrees north..

Dinosaurs trampledthe canyons

Buckley said thecanyons near Tumbler Ridge are a gold mine for paleontologists and theirrocks area rich source of dinosaur tracks.

"These are the oldest track-bearing rocks we have in the Peace and likely in Western Canada."

Tumbler Ridge and the Peace Region are already known for their fossil bird tracks, albeitfrom four younger Cretaceous rock formations.

According to Helm, the canyons in the mountains west of Tumbler Ridge were systematically explored for theirfossil potential in 2013.

Other important finds included a footprint left by a sauropod the largest animals ever to live on land and another site with huge markings possibly left after multiple sauropods trampled the area.

Multiple trackways were also found in another canyon, covering an area of almost 1,000 square metres. These were made by large theropod and ornithopod dinosaurs.

All of the new discoverieswill eventually be displayedin the Dinosaur Discovery Gallery in TumblerRidge Museum.