A Team of Climbers Discovers Signs of a Mass Panic Attack While Scaling a Cliff

In an extraordinary find, climbers exploring the limestone slopes of Monte Cnero in eastern Italy discovered unusual tracks embedded in rock. Their photos caught the attention of paleontologists, who later identified the markings as likely left by a group of ancient sea turtles startled by an earthquake.

Approximately 83 million years ago, the area now known as the Cnero Riviera was submerged under the Cretaceous seas, providing a habitat for marine reptiles and fish, including ancestors of modern sea turtles. A sudden seismic event caused panic, leaving a trail of flipper marks preserved in the soft sediment.

The tracks, resembling ichnofossils, were initially compared to earlier discoveries attributed to extinct marine reptiles such as Coneroichnus marinus, thought to be related to pliosaurs. When climbers presented their images to paleontologist Alessandro Montanari from the Geological Observatory of Coldigioco, he recognized their scientific significance.

Despite the steep cliff over La Vela Beach being over 328 feet (100 meters) above sea level and within a restricted area due to rockfall hazards, Montanari and his team surveyed the site on foot and used drones to capture comprehensive aerial images. Their study, published in Cretaceous Research, suggested that the prints were formed as medium-sized marine vertebrates paddled across a soft seafloor, quickly buried by calcilutitic turbidites, which preserved them for millions of years.

During the Late Cretaceous, marine vertebrates at the seafloor were mostly fish and reptiles. While skeletal remains of marine creatures have been found in limestone, traces of their flippers or paddles are exceptionally rare because soft sediment marks are usually erased by currents. Montanaris team considered possible creators of the tracks, including mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, or extinct sea turtles from the Protostegidae family.

By comparing modern sea turtle behavior, the researchers noted that some species, like the Hawaiian green turtle and Hawksbill turtle, occasionally swim close to the seafloor, brushing sand with their fore-flippers. This behavioral similarity supports the hypothesis that the tracks were made by a herd of sea turtles fleeing an earthquake.

The abundance of sea turtle traces suggests a mass exodus triggered by sudden seismic activity, Montanari explained. The flipper marks were rapidly buried under calcilutitic fluxoturbidite deposits, preserving the moment in the limestone for tens of millions of years. This seismic event coincides with the Early Campanian Event, a period of climate change likely influenced by an asteroid impact.

The discovery highlights the importance of careful observation in fossil-rich areas. Even casual explorers could stumble upon traces that have remained hidden for millions of years, offering invaluable insights into ancient marine ecosystems.

Author: Sophia Brooks