Drought Uncovers Dinosaur Footprints

As an extreme drought continues to develop across much of Texas and the American Southwest, dinosaur footprints have started to appear at a state park in the Lone Star State. Due to retreating waterbeds at Dinosaur Valley State Park, dinosaur tracks at least 113 million years old appeared. Normally the river would cause sediment to settle in each footprint, but now that the sediment has washed away, the bare ground clearly shows the tracks.

“Most tracks that have recently been uncovered and discovered at different parts of the river in the park belong to Acrocanthosaurus. This was a dinosaur that would stand, as an adult, about 15 feet tall and (weigh) close to seven tons,” park spokesperson Stephanie Salinas Garcia said in a statement obtained by CNN.

One comment on the video asked how the dinosaur tracks are still visible after years of erosion, and the park responded that “floods erode parts of our river bed” but visitors can still go to dig on the banks to discover tracks solidified under mud. pic.twitter.com/ESOR38VvgL

— MySA (@mySA) August 23, 2022

The Acrocanthosaurus lived in the Early Cretaceous period or between 110-113 million years ago. Fossils of the dinosaur are typically found in Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.

“While these newer dinosaur tracks were visible for a brief amount of time, it brought about the wonder and excitement about finding new dinosaur tracks at the park,” Garcia added. “Dinosaur Valley State Park will continue to protect these 113-million year-old tracks not only for present, but future generations.”

According to the United States Drought Monitor, upwards of 60-percent of Texas is experiencing an “Exceptional Drought,” the highest level the service tracks.

Another dino happened to leave tracks in the park, which park-goers can also see. The Sauroposeidon weighed in at a hefty 44 tons at its most and its footsteps are also now on display.

Monday, the state park shared that substantial rainfall temporarily closed the trails and tracks although the dinosaur tracks still remained visible. “Please keep in mind though, the tracks, trails, and river conditions all depend on how much rain we actually get. We will closely monitor all conditions in the park with the forecasted rain and provide updates as needed,” the outfit added on its Facebook post.