A powerful AI just uncovered prehistoric footprints that could rewrite everything scientists thought they knew about the origins of birds. The software, developed by a team of European researchers, offers a fresh lens through which to examine fossilized tracks. Early findings from the model have surfaced unexpected similarities in tracks from the Triassic and early Jurassic periods. “If these tracks were made by birds, that would mean that birds have a much older, much deeper ancestry than we used to think,” he said. Although currently focused on tridactyl dinosaur tracks, researchers plan to expand the system to include other trace fossils, such as plant impressions and invertebrate movement patterns.