A Drought Has Revealed Early Cretaceous Dinosaur Tracks in Texas

Drought conditions had a revealing effect on Dinosaur Valley State Park in central Texas, unearthing a treasure trove of ancient history. Nestled in the town of Glen Rose, southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, this park is named for its remarkable dinosaur footprints. However, the recent drought-induced water level drops exposed the 113-million-year-old dinosaur tracks that typically lay concealed beneath the mud, silt, and waters of the Paluxy River.

Dinosaur Tracks in Texas

This summer’s scorching heat and persisting dry spell played a crucial role in this discovery, allowing volunteers to count a remarkable 75 newly exposed footprints in the parched riverbed. Park superintendent Jeff Davis expressed his team’s eagerness to seize this opportunity brought by nature’s fluctuation.

Two distinct types of dinosaurs left their imprints on this prehistoric canvas – the Acrocanthosaurus, a towering carnivore standing at 15 feet and weighing around 14,000 pounds, and the Sauroposeidon proteles, Texas’ official state dinosaur since 2009, which reached lengths of up to 100 feet and weighed nearly 88,000 pounds. Their tracks, distinct in size and shape, now stand as timeless records of their existence.

Drought Made Water Levels Drop

Among the newfound treasures, a double track provides a unique glimpse into the past—a case of two overlapping Acrocanthosaurus tracks resembling a colossal six-toed clawed prehistoric monster track, as humorously noted by the Friends of Dinosaur Valley State Park on Facebook. These tracks narrate stories of these creatures traversing a shallow sea during the Cretaceous Period. Over time, the soft seabed sediment transformed into limestone, encapsulating these footprints for millions of years. The Paluxy River’s sediment and water continue to safeguard these relics, albeit temporarily.

Volunteers and researchers seized this extraordinary moment to meticulously measure, document, and study these tracks, notwithstanding the challenges they faced. The sweltering heatwave, with limestone temperatures soaring up to 126 degrees Fahrenheit in the riverbed, tested their perseverance. Nonetheless, the pursuit of knowledge remained undeterred.

Drought has become somewhat of a recurring phenomenon in Somervell County, encompassing the park, as evidenced by the U.S. Drought Monitor’s classification of Extreme Drought for the region. This marks the second consecutive year in which drought conditions have uncovered submerged tracks within the park. In 2022, an extensive trail of deep dinosaur footprints emerged as the river receded, rekindling the intrigue of the past.

The legacy of these ancient footprints goes back over a century. In 1909, a young child named George Adams stumbled upon dinosaur footprints while playing along the Paluxy River. Subsequently, in 1937, paleontologist R.T. Bird explored the region for fossils destined for the American Museum of Natural History, uncovering even more prints. Today, a section of the riverbed he collected, known as the Glen Rose Trackway, is on display at the museum in New York City, continuing to ignite curiosity and fascination.