Imagine a time when dinosaurs roamed South Africa’s coast, leaving behind clues to their existence millions of years later. But here’s the shocking part: after a massive volcanic eruption 182 million years ago, the fossil record of these ancient creatures in the region seemed to vanish—until now. Recent discoveries are rewriting the story of dinosaurs in southern Africa, revealing they thrived long after the lava flows that once silenced their traces.
In 2025, a groundbreaking find emerged: dinosaur tracks dating back 140 million years were uncovered on a remote stretch of South Africa’s Western Cape coast. These were the first of their kind from the Cretaceous Period (145 to 66 million years ago) in the region. And this is the part most people miss: just a year later, another team of ichnologists—scientists who study fossil tracks—stumbled upon an even younger site, pushing the boundaries of what we know about these prehistoric giants.
Our team’s discovery, nestled in the Knysna area of the Western Cape, was serendipitous. While exploring a small patch of early Cretaceous rock—often submerged at high tide—we weren’t expecting much. After all, the area is tiny, no more than 40 meters long and five meters wide, with cliffs rising just five meters from the shore. But Linda Helm, a member of our group, shouted in excitement: she had found dinosaur tracks. Further examination revealed over two dozen probable tracks, suggesting a bustling dinosaur presence in the region during the Cretaceous.
Here’s where it gets controversial: these tracks, estimated to be 132 million years old, are the youngest ever found in southern Africa—a staggering 50 million years younger than the next oldest ones from the Karoo Basin. This challenges the long-held belief that dinosaur activity in the region ceased after the Jurassic Period. Could this mean dinosaurs were more resilient and widespread than we thought?
Southern Africa is a treasure trove of Mesozoic Era fossils, particularly in the Karoo Basin, a vast inland area filled with sedimentary deposits. While dinosaur tracks from the Triassic and Jurassic periods are abundant in places like Lesotho and South Africa’s Free State and Eastern Cape provinces, the Drakensberg Group lava flows seemed to mark the end of their reign. Yet, our findings prove otherwise.
The tracks at Knysna, now partially submerged in the intertidal zone, paint a vivid picture of a bygone era. Imagine a stark contrast to today’s developed coastline: 132 million years ago, this area was teeming with dinosaurs, possibly inhabiting tidal channels or river beaches, surrounded by lush, prehistoric vegetation. The tracks were likely made by theropods (meat-eaters), ornithopods (plant-eaters), and possibly sauropods (the long-necked giants). Distinguishing between these tracks can be tricky, but one thing is clear: dinosaurs were here, and in numbers.
But here’s the burning question: if these tracks are so recent, could there be more undiscovered sites? The Brenton Formation and Robberg Formation discoveries suggest that systematic exploration of non-marine Cretaceous rocks in the Western and Eastern Cape could yield even more treasures—not just tracks, but perhaps skeletal remains too. What other secrets might these ancient landscapes hold?
As we continue our research, one thing is certain: the story of dinosaurs in southern Africa is far from complete. What do you think? Could these findings change how we understand dinosaur extinction and survival? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s spark a debate!
