AI App DinoTracker Identifies Dinosaurs From Ancient Footprints

Scientists launched DinoTracker, an AI app that identifies dinosaurs from fossil footprints with about 90% expert-level accuracy.
Researchers trained the system using 2,000 unlabelled footprint silhouettes instead of disputed human classifications.
The AI compared shape features like toe spread, heel position, and ground contact.
The team published the research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Prof Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh said footprints rarely link directly to known dinosaurs.
Dr Gregor Hartmann from Helmholtz-Zentrum led the study.
The app lets users upload footprints and compare them with similar examples.
Results support earlier findings that some ancient tracks appear surprisingly birdlike.
Scientists caution these tracks likely came from birdlike meat-eating dinosaurs, not true birds.