16:31 20 August 2015
A Russian geologist claims that giant all-terrain vehicles were used on Earth in pre-historic times, alleging that they left tracks from 12 to 14 million years ago.
Dr Alexander Koltypin claims that groove-like markings in the Phrygian Valley of central Turkey were not created by any natural process.
"We can suppose that ancient vehicles on wheels were driven on soft soil, maybe a wet surface,' he said.
"Because of their weight the ruts were so deep.
"And later these ruts - and all the surface around - just petrified and secured all the evidence.
"Such cases are well known to geologists, for example, the footprints of dinosaurs were 'naturally preserved' in a similar way."
Dr Koltypin, who is the director of the Natural Science Scientific Research Centre at the Moscow’s International Independent University of Ecology and Politology, described the marketing as petrified tracking ruts in rocky tuffaceous deposits' - made from compacted volcanic ash.
He said: "All these rocky fields were covered with the ruts left some millions of years ago....we are not talking about human beings."
The academic said: "We are dealing with some kind of cars or all-terrain vehicles.
"The pairs of ruts are crossing each other from time to time and some ruts are more deep than the others."