Ichnofossils are sedimentological structures left by humans and other organisms in the environment of the past. They can represent different activities of organisms but rarely can provide information about their behaviour. From this point of view, the “Devil’s trails” fossil footprints are exceptionally important since they show some of the oldest human footprints and trails in Europe and give a glimpse into the locomotor control ability of Middle Pleistocene humans. Impressed on a volcanic rock in a remote locality of Southern Italy, their extreme scientific importance deserves to be shared with the scientific community for further studies and novel interpretations. By using complex photogrammetric methods, we digitised the entire area bearing the imprints and shared the 3D model to provide a digital heritage of the site. In addition, by means of virtual reality technologies, we provided a virtual experience for an inclusive dissemination of this unique palaeontological site.
High-resolution 3D scan of the Devil’s trails palaeontological ichnosite (Southern Italy) for the digital legacy / Carotenuto, F., Panarello, A., De Vito Piscicelli, A., Mondanaro, A., Melchionna, M., Oione, D., Raia, P., Tavani, S.. - In: SCIENTIFIC DATA. - ISSN 2052-4463. - (2026). [10.1038/s41597-026-07690-6]
High-resolution 3D scan of the Devil’s trails palaeontological ichnosite (Southern Italy) for the digital legacy
Carotenuto, Francesco;De Vito Piscicelli, Alberto;Mondanaro, Alessandro;Melchionna, Marina;Raia, Pasquale;Tavani, Stefano
2026
Abstract
Ichnofossils are sedimentological structures left by humans and other organisms in the environment of the past. They can represent different activities of organisms but rarely can provide information about their behaviour. From this point of view, the “Devil’s trails” fossil footprints are exceptionally important since they show some of the oldest human footprints and trails in Europe and give a glimpse into the locomotor control ability of Middle Pleistocene humans. Impressed on a volcanic rock in a remote locality of Southern Italy, their extreme scientific importance deserves to be shared with the scientific community for further studies and novel interpretations. By using complex photogrammetric methods, we digitised the entire area bearing the imprints and shared the 3D model to provide a digital heritage of the site. In addition, by means of virtual reality technologies, we provided a virtual experience for an inclusive dissemination of this unique palaeontological site.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
