Droughts are not usually associated with anything good. That said, there are exceptions — and the folks at Dinosaur Valley State Park understand this from experience. This park is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and it is the home to a number of preserved dinosaur footprints, hence the name. While there are already plenty of dinosaur tracks to admire, turns out, there are still plenty more to discover. But how is that possible?
Videos by InspireMore
The Paluxy River runs through the park… usually. Last summer’s drought was so extreme, the water dried it up. As a result, however, many new dinosaur footprints were revealed. In fact, at least 75 were found. Some appear to be 113 million years old! While it makes sense that these tracks would be found in a place like Dinosaur Valley State Park, new discoveries like this are still incredibly rare and worth celebrating!
Drought Reveals Perfectly Hidden and Preserved Dinosaur Tracks
By taking a closer look at the tracks, it seems that two different types of dinosaurs left them, both distantly related to the beloved T-rex! The first is called Acrocanthosaurus, though it is often shortened to Acro. This massive creature, a carnivore, stood at 15 feet tall and weighed 14,000 pounds. It walked on two legs with three-toed feet.
Then there is the Sauroposeidon proteles. Their necks were most certainly their most prominent feature, measuring up to 100 feet long. Plus, it was even bigger than the Acros, often weighing close to 88,000 pounds!
“It brings it into reality,” Jeff Davis, the park’s superintendent says. “You look at these and realize these were not movie monsters, these were animals that walked and lived in this place where I’m standing today.”
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.
