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The "new" footprints are from Late Triassic period, which makes them about 210 million years old.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University rector Saowanit Saonanon said the discovery was significant because some of the prints were likely to be the oldest ever found for sauropod dinosaurs and Carnosaurs.

"Also, we have also found that some footprints belonged to a species not known before," Saowanit said.

She said the ancient footprints were found early last month in Ban None Toom, in Chaiyapum's Nong Bua Daeng district.

"The footprints are spread over an area covering 50 square metres," Saowanit said.

She said a team of experts from the Petrified Wood and Mineral Resource Museum inspected the ancient footprints on July 26 and 27.

The museum is supervised by Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University.

The team classified the new prints after consulting with Dr Yoichi Azuma from Japan and Prof Dong Zhiming from China.

"The footprints are in three patterns," she said.

The first pattern appeared to belong to a sauropod dinosaur, the second to a Carnosaur, and the third to an unknown species.

Saowanit said her team would work with local authorities and the Mineral Resources Department to conserve the ancient footprints.

An exhibition on dinosaur footprints will be held in Chaiyaphum from October 29.