Floodwaters in the Texas Hill Country have led to a rare and exciting discovery: a set of 15 three-clawed dinosaur footprints, buried for millions of years, are now exposed in the bed of Big Sandy Creek in Travis County. The discovery comes as a bittersweet moment, as the same floods that revealed the ancient tracks caused immense devastation and loss of life in the region.
The Footprints of a Prehistoric Predator
According to paleontologist Matthew Brown from the University of Texas at Austin, the newly discovered tracks were made by a large, meat-eating dinosaur. The creature is believed to be an Acrocanthosaurus, a bipedal carnivore that was about 35 feet long. The footprints themselves are roughly 18 to 20 inches long and are estimated to be between 110 and 115 million years old. These prints were preserved in a rock layer known as the Glen Rose Formation limestone, which was uncovered by the floodwaters. Brown and his team plan to use 3D imaging to document the tracks and determine if they were left by a single dinosaur or multiple creatures.
A Region Rich in Dinosaur History
The discovery highlights that central Texas is a rich area for dinosaur tracks, a fact that Brown notes often surprises people. The area is known as “Flash Flood Alley” for its susceptibility to flooding, and these natural events can often unearth ancient fossils. The newfound tracks are located just under 200 miles from Dinosaur Valley State Park, a famous site known for its numerous dinosaur footprints from sauropods and theropods dating back around 113 million years. In addition to the newly found prints, other nearby tracks might belong to the Paluxysaurus, the official state dinosaur of Texas.
Protection and Preservation Efforts
Amidst the ongoing cleanup from the destructive floods, which tragically caused over 135 deaths, officials and paleontologists are working together to protect the newly exposed tracks. Precautions are being taken to ensure that cleanup crews and heavy machinery do not damage the footprints. The exact location of the discovery is being kept confidential at the landowner’s request, as the tracks were found on private property.
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Source: Interesting Engineering
