Drought uncovers new dinosaur tracks in Glen Rose
GLEN ROSE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — New dinosaur tracks were discovered in Glen Rose after the severe drought brought the Paluxy River to historic lows.
"The river was bone-dry for the first time in many years," said Glen Kuban, who lives in Ohio but has been working on the tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park for more than 40 years. "This trail here is almost never dry. There's always big pools of mud and water."
The recently uncovered tracks at the park date back 113 million years, and the majority of them belong to two species: a theropod called Acrocanthosaurus and a sauropod called Sauroposeidon.
"Most of the tracks that folks are really excited about right now are from a dinosaur called Acrocanthosaurus," Jeff Davis, the park superintendent at Dinosaur Valley State Park. "It's kind of a mouthful, but it means high-spined lizard."
The creature looked like Tyrannosaurus Rex, weighed about seven or eight tons, and once roamed this very area of Texas.
"It was not rolling prairies and trees," Davis said. "It was a seashore, 113 million years ago."
Park staff kept tabs on the drying riverbed this summer, noticed the new tracks, and then asked volunteers to come and help clean them out.
About 40 to 50 volunteers with Texas Master Naturalists, the Dallas Paleontological Society, Friends of Dinosaur Valley, and other groups answered the call to help gently uncover the tracks.
"The volunteers have been absolutely indispensable in this process," said Davis. "We have a small staff at the park. We don't have enough to operate the park, and go out and do regular track cleaning like we might like to. When something like this happens and a big crew comes in and helps us out, it's much appreciated."
The volunteers are trying to work as quickly as possible because the tracks will soon be buried again by the river when it rains.
"There's a chance we could get the whole thing cleaned up, this long trail," Kuban said. "And it's special for several reason. It's perhaps the longest existing dinosaur trail in North America."
Visitors from all over the country are changing their travel plans to take in the once-in-a-lifetime view.
"When else are we going to see dinosaur footprints?," said Pat Hughes, who drove about 50 miles out of the way on their route back to Minnesota to visit the park. "And it was worth it."
Dinosaur Valley State Park is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It's been a slow summer because of the heat and drought, so they are glad the new tracks are attracting more visitors.
"That excitement you feel over dinosaurs, I think most kids have that," Davis said. "Some of us lose it as adults, and some of us lose it a little less. I think this park is a great place to find that again if you've lost it, or to enjoy it if you still experience that awe and that wonder at dinosaurs."