Dinosaur tracks from around 113 million years ago have been uncovered at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas after a severe drought dried up a river.
Situated alongside the Paluxy River outside Fort Worth, Dinosaur Valley State Park allows visitors to observe dinosaur tracks and camp along 20 miles of trails. It was one of the many areas impacted by a statewide drought last week.
“Due to the excessive drought conditions this past summer, the river dried up completely in most locations, allowing for more tracks to be uncovered here in the park,” Stephanie Salinas Garcia from the park’s press office told CBS News.
Normally covered by water and sediment, the new tracks in the riverbed are now clearly visible to visitors.
The tracks are believed to belong to two species, including the theropod Acrocanthosaurus, which stood about 15 feet tall and weighed 7 tons.
Some of the tracks have also been attributed to the Sauroposeidon, which was a towering 60 feet tall and weighed close to 44 tons.
“Being able to find these discoveries and experience new dinosaur tracks is always an exciting time at the park!” Garcia said.
The new tracks are expected to be buried again soon by forecasted rain. But while they won’t be visible to park visitors in the near future, the sediment actually helps protect the tracks from weathering and erosion.
“While they will soon be buried again by the rain and the river, Dinosaur Valley State Park will continue to protect these 113-million-year-old tracks not only for present, but future generations,” Garcia said.
The new dinosaur tracks are merely the latest curiosities to emerge in the past few months, as hot temperatures and the climate crisis cause water levels to drop in the US and abroad. Earlier this month, the fourth set of human remains was found at Lake Mead in Utah.
