Texan River Dries Up, Leaving Behind Dinosaur Footprints

Droughts across the world are revealing hidden wonders beneath the surface of the water. The latest find is a set of well-preserved dinosaur footprints that let us step back into an age lost to time. 

The tracks were situated alongside the Paluxy River just outside of Fort Worth in Dinosaur Valley State Park. They were estimated to have been made over 113 million years ago. 

In a statement to CNN, Stephanie Salinas Garcia noted that other ancient marks found in the same area belong to an Acrocanthosaurus which used to roam our lands during the Cretaceous period. As an adult, this dinosaur could stand up to 15 feet tall and weigh as much as seven tons. 

Other tracks found were also determined to be associated with the Sauroposeidon, which stood at 40 feet tall and weighed almost 44 tons. 

Unfortunately, it is expected that the markings will be covered up soon by rainfall. However, while visitors won’t be able to witness it for themselves, it gave the park the chance to rally a team of officials and volunteers to lay sediment on the riverbed to protect and preserve the footprints.  

The discovery comes after a state-wide drought hit Texas. As a global heatwave continues to wrack through countries this summer, other places have found hidden treasures at the bottom of their rivers, including Buddhist statues at the bottom of the Yangtze river. 

[via CNN and New York Post, cover image via Dinosaur Valley State Park-Friends]