Geological and paleontological sites identified in Croatia and Slovenia

Geological and paleontological discoveries highlight the prehistoric history of the Adriatic region. In Croatia, the Gaveznica site on the slopes of Ivanščica is identified as a fossil volcano. Dating back approximately 22 million years to the Miocene epoch, the site consists of andesite, volcanic breccia, and tuff. Former quarrying activities at Kameni vrh, which took place between 1923 and 1967, revealed the volcanic chimney and geological structure of the area.

In Slovenia, the Fenoliga islet preserves approximately 150 dinosaur footprints dating back roughly 98 million years to the Early Cretaceous period. The tracks, discovered in 1975, include large, elliptical prints from sauropods and smaller three-toed prints from theropods. One notable find includes a 19.5-meter sequence of 39 consecutive footprints from a quadrupedal herbivore. Similar paleontological sites are located on the Brijuni islands, where over 300 footprints have been documented.