{
  "id": 15395744,
  "title": "Mysterious footprints in Udon Thani spark dinosaur speculation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/mysterious-footprints-in-udon-thani-spark-dinosaur-speculation",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-18T10:10:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Khaosod English",
    "slug": "khaosod-english",
    "url": "https://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/2026/10/18/mysterious-footprints-in-udon-thani-spark-dinosaur-speculation/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "UDON THANI — On October 18, 2026, photos of enigmatic footprints discovered in a forest stream in Ban Phue district of Udon Thani ignited online speculation regarding their potential connection to a dinosaur. A Facebook user, Pichai Prathetsena, shared images of the tracks in the \"นี่ตัวอะไร\" (\"What animal is this?\") group, questioning whether they might be dinosaur footprints. The post prompted remarks from group members who examined the shapes and deliberated possible origins. One administrator suggested the marks could have been left by a theropod, a class of predominantly carnivorous dinosaurs. They proposed that the tracks might be associated with carcharodontosaurs, spinosaurs, or megaraptors, although the precise group could not be determined from the images. The dinosaur that created them could have been a juvenile or a fully grown specimen. The administrator also pointed out that the Phu Phan rock formation in Udon Thani dates back to the Cretaceous Period. However, it remains undetermined whether the footprints belong to any particular dinosaur genus. Some commenters doubted whether the area had previously yielded similar discoveries and urged authorities to investigate the site to ascertain if it could be a new fossil-track discovery. Others indicated that if the tracks were confirmed to represent an undocumented find, the discovery could attract considerable attention. As of October 18, no official confirmation had been made confirming that the marks were dinosaur footprints. Further examination by experts or relevant authorities is required to ascertain their origin.",
  "summary": "UDON THANI — 18 October 2026, Photos of mysterious footprints found in a forest stream in Ban Phue district have sparked online speculation that they could belong to a dinosaur, with some social media users suggesting a meat-eating theropod. Facebook user Pichai Prathetsena posted photos of the tracks in the group “นี่ตัวอะไร” (“What animal is […] The post Mysterious footprints in Udon Thani…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}