Drought uncovers dinosaur tracks in US park
- The three-toed prints – thought to be 113 million years old – became exposed after a river in Texas dried up over the summer
- The state park near Dallas was once on the edge of an ancient ocean
A drought in Texas dried up a river flowing through Dinosaur Valley State Park, exposing tracks from giant reptiles that lived some 113 million years ago, an official said Tuesday.
Photos posted on Facebook show three-toed footprints leading down a dry tree-lined riverbed in the southern US state. It is “one of the longest dinosaur trackways in the world”, a caption accompanying the images says.
Stephanie Salinas Garcia of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said dry weather made the tracks visible.
“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,” she said.
“Under normal river conditions, these newer tracks are under water and are commonly filled in with sediment, making them buried and not as visible,” Garcia said.