The dinosaur track is real—and extraordinary. A 150‑million‑year‑old trackway near Ouray, Colorado, forms a rare loop, and it shows a small, consistent left–right step difference. But was the dinosaur limping? We don’t know yet—and that uncertainty is where the story gets fascinating.
Colorado’s looping giant: what’s true, what’s hype
- The headline claim checks out: researchers mapped more than 130 footprints along a 95.5‑meter path that includes a complete loop. A peer‑reviewed study (published Nov 20, 2025) and a University of Queensland release (Nov 25, 2025) confirm it (mdpi.com; news.uq.edu.au).
- The “limp” is unproven. Scientists did find about a 10‑centimeter difference between left and right steps across the trackway. That could signal a limp—or simply a side preference (eurekalert.org).
- The site isn’t in the “Central USA.” It’s in the western United States—specifically the San Juan Mountains near Ouray, Colorado (smithsonianmag.com).
The most surprising correction first: a loop, and why some stories said “270 degrees” Earlier coverage described a dramatic 270‑degree turn. The new 2025 analysis resolves a fully looped subsection within the longer path, letting the team call it “a complete loop” without contradicting earlier, less detailed mapping. In other words, both descriptions reflect different stages of study: rough early estimates versus a millimeter‑accurate 3D model. Sources:
- University of Queensland press release: “unique” site with a loop (news.uq.edu.au)
- Peer‑reviewed paper quantifying the loop within the 95.5 m trackway (mdpi.com)
- Earlier reporting noting a ~270° turn (smithsonianmag.com)
A long‑neck turns back—then leaves a mystery Picture a sauropod—one of the long‑necked giants—swinging around on a muddy lakeshore in the Late Jurassic. It walks, turns through a sweeping curve, loops back, then continues on its way. What made it change course? The footprints don’t show a struggle. Researchers say “avoidance” is plausible—maybe the dinosaur was steering clear of something—but that’s still speculation (aol.com).
What we know (with sources)
- Time and place: Late Jurassic (~150 million years ago), near Ouray, Colorado (news.uq.edu.au).
- Size and scope: More than 130 footprints over 95.5 m. The paper identifies 131; older reports mention 134 or “about 130.” The article’s “more than 130” is a safe summary (mdpi.com).
- Methods: Drones captured detailed imagery; scientists stitched thousands of photos into a 3D model with millimeter‑scale accuracy (phys.org).
- Gait asymmetry: A small, steady 10 cm difference between left and right steps suggests either a limp or a side preference. The data can’t tell which (eurekalert.org).
- Which dinosaur? No species is pinned down. Sauropods such as Diplodocus and Camarasaurus lived here during the Jurassic, and both are plausible candidates (news.uq.edu.au).
- Weight distribution, in plain language: Camarasaurus was more “front‑wheel drive” (more weight over the shoulders), while Diplodocus was more “rear‑wheel drive” (more weight over the hips), a biomechanical contrast that can change how deep the fore versus hind prints are (aol.com; longstanding sauropod research).
What’s still uncertain (and what’s not)
- Limp vs. lateralization: Verified asymmetry; cause unknown. It’s tempting to say “limp,” but the scientists won’t go that far yet (eurekalert.org).
- Why the loop? No evidence of a fight. “Avoiding something” remains a reasonable guess, not a fact (aol.com).
- Footprint anatomy: Some coverage notes mostly hind‑foot impressions at the site; that detail isn’t central to the new paper but is consistent with sauropod weight distribution (earthsky.org).
Numbers check—small differences, big picture
- Footprints: 131 (paper), 134 (earlier coverage), “about 130” (media). The original article’s “more than 130” matches the current evidence (mdpi.com).
- Loop: Earlier 270° vs. new “complete loop” reflects improved mapping and wording, not a contradiction (smithsonianmag.com; news.uq.edu.au).
- Geography: Not “Central USA,” but southwestern Colorado (smithsonianmag.com).
- Sizes: Camarasaurus at ~18 m and up to ~18–20 tonnes; Diplodocus at ~27 m and up to ~15–16 tonnes—both standard museum figures (nhmu.utah.edu; nhm.ac.uk).
A site saved—and now likely one‑of‑a‑kind The West Gold Hill tracksite was known locally for decades. In 2024, the U.S. Forest Service brought it under public protection, improving access and safeguarding it from damage (smithsonianmag.com). Researchers add that a similar looping trackway in China was destroyed by a rockslide, making the Colorado loop potentially the only extant trackway of its kind—based on interviews and media reports (aol.com).
How the team cracked the case
- Step 1: Aerial survey by drone to capture high‑resolution images across 95.5 m.
- Step 2: Photogrammetry stitched those images into a precise 3D model.
- Step 3: Measurements of step length and track depth revealed the ~10 cm left–right difference and mapped the loop with confidence (phys.org; mdpi.com).
Bottom line
- Verified: A Late Jurassic sauropod trackway near Ouray, Colorado, includes a complete loop and more than 130 footprints, documented with millimeter‑accurate 3D modeling (news.uq.edu.au; mdpi.com).
- Unresolved: Whether the dinosaur was limping remains an open question; “avoidance” as the reason for the turn is plausible but unproven (eurekalert.org; aol.com).
- Correction: The site is in the western U.S., not the “Central USA,” and the “270° vs complete loop” wording reflects evolving analysis, not conflicting facts (smithsonianmag.com; news.uq.edu.au).
Key links for verification
- University of Queensland release: https://news.uq.edu.au/2025-11-looping-long-necked-dinosaur-site-reveals-its-secrets?utm_source=openai
- Peer‑reviewed paper (Nov 20, 2025): https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7418/5/4/67?utm_source=openai
- Phys.org coverage of 3D methods: https://phys.org/news/2025-11-looping-necked-dinosaur-site-reveals.html?utm_source=openai
- EurekAlert summary on gait asymmetry: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1107367?utm_source=openai
- AOL report on “avoidance” and China comparison: https://www.aol.com/news/limping-dinosaurs-twisted-path-puzzles-020306276.html?utm_source=openai
- Smithsonian context and site protection: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-visit-the-worlds-largest-continuous-dinosaur-trackway-is-now-on-protected-public-land-180984187/?utm_source=openai
- Sauropod size references: https://nhmu.utah.edu/camarasaurus?utm_source=openai and https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/quick-questions/how-big-was-diplodocus-carnegii.html?utm_source=openai
- EarthSky note on hind‑foot impressions: https://earthsky.org/earth/new-study-of-dinosaur-tracks-suggests-it-walked-with-a-limp/?utm_source=openai
The thrill here isn’t just that a giant turned around—it’s that 150 million years later, we can follow its every step, right down to a 10‑centimeter quirk in its stride. The loop is real. The limp? Still under investigation.