In a statement, the CPGP states that this is the discovery of "the largest set of Cretaceous dinosaur footprints in Portugal".
"These footprints were left by carnivorous dinosaurs (teropods) and herbivores (sauropods and ornithopods), from medium to large size. This is a monumental set of footprints that is spread over a not very large area", says the entity.
According to CPGP, the footprints were found in different layers at the top of a geological formation dating from the Lower Cretaceous period.
The scientific work aims at recording dinosaur footprints from the Portuguese Cretaceous, through a large team of Portuguese, Spanish, French and Brazilian paleontologists and geologists, led by paleontologist Silvério Figueiredo.
"This study is part of CPGP's research project called 'Os Vertebrados do Barremiano do Cabo Espichel e o seu contexto Ibérico: implicações paleoambientais e paleogeográficas'", which has been studying this region since 1998 [...]", indicates CPGP.
The research also counts with the collaboration of the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, the Centre of Geosciences and the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Coimbra and the UNESCO Geopark Naturtejo Mundial.