Texas drought reveals 113-million-year-old dino tracks
These prehistoric footprints, usually concealed beneath the waters of the Paluxy River, have surfaced due to the deficient water levels this summer.
The drought gripping central Texas has unveiled 113-million-year old dinosaur tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park, southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
These prehistoric footprints are usually concealed beneath the waters of the Paluxy River but have surfaced due to deficient water levels this summer.
The area is usually submerged in water. (All photos courtesy: Facebook/Dinosaur Valley State Park - Friends)
If the story sounds familiar, that's because something similar happened last year. This time around, officials have identified a total of 75 newly-exposed etched into the riverbed.
Prehistoric giants
The tracks offer a glimpse into the world of two distinct dinosaurs. The first is the Acrocanthosaurus, a towering carnivore that reached heights over 4.5 metres and weighed more than 6,300 kilograms.
The second is Sauroposeidon proteles, Texas' official state dinosaur since 2009. This long-necked creature stretched up to 30 metres in length and weighed around 40,000 kilograms
The tracks date back to the Cretaceous Period, a time when the area was submerged in a shallow sea.
Over the eons, the sediment gradually solidified into limestone, preserving the imprints. While the sediment and the Paluxy River's waters protect the tracks from weathering, they will eventually erode away.
Volunteers and researchers are on site documenting and studying the tracks - with some challenges. The limestone in the riverbed has reached soared to 63°C as reported in a Facebook post by the Friends of Dinosaur Valley State Park.
Currently, all of Somervell County, the area encompassing the park, faces "Extreme Drought" conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor assessment.