Pedreira do Avelino Natural Monument
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| Pedreira do Avelino Natural Monument | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location in Portugal | |
| Location | Zambujal, Sesimbra |
| Nearest city | Setúbal |
| Coordinates | 38°27′16″N 9°07′22″W / 38.45444°N 9.12278°W |
| Area | 1.66 hectares (4.1 acres) |
| Established | 1997 |
Pedreira do Avelino (Portuguese: Avelino's quarry) is a natural monument in Zambujal, Sesimbra, Portugal. The site contains an important set of dinosaur footprints from the Upper Jurassic (155 million years ago). The main slab is about 15 metres (49 ft) long by 10 metres (33 ft) wide, and is inclined (30°), which facilitates its observation and pedagogical use. It contains 5 tracks and 108 total footprints.[1][2][3]
The footprints were created by Parabrontopodus, which differed in size: the largest with 4 metres (13 ft) from the ground to the hip, a footprint of ± 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) in length (visible with low light) and hands 30 cm long x 46 cm wide (12 in × 18 in); and the smallest, 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) from the ground to the hip, footprints 30 cm long x 25 cm wide (11.8 in × 9.8 in) and hands 18 cm x 13 cm (7.1 in × 5.1 in). There is also an incomplete track with predominance of handprints of sauropods from the upper Jurassic, the first of its kind in Portugal.[1]