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Fossil footprints describe a day in the life of a 50 million-year-old shorebird | CNN

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A small bird waded along a lakeshore in what today is central Oregon 50 million years ago .

Two tiny fossil footprints were found by a student intern at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument .

The analysis could help researchers form a better understanding of the prehistoric ecosystems of Oregon .

The traces are the only evidence of small lizards’ existence at John Day during the Eocene .

A separate specimen showed three footprints made up of five thin, splayed digits and clawlike impressions.

The absence of claw marks suggested that the animal’s claws were retractable, like those of modern cats.