The US state of Texas is facing its worst drought since 2011. Drought caused a river to dry up last week. Severe drought conditions in Texas’ Dinosaur Valley State Park have revealed ancient dinosaur footprints that date back 113 million years.
Footprints thought to be from Acrocanthosaurus
Texas Dinosaur Valley State Park spokesperson Stephanie Salinas Garcia said the dinosaur tracks appeared when a river dried up. She also stated that the giant footprints belonged to an Acrocanthosaurus, she said. “Most of the tracks unearthed and discovered in different parts of the river in the park belong to Acrocanthosaurus.”
Footprints of the Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur appeared in the almost completely dried up Paluxy River. Claimed to be 5 meters tall and 7 tons in weight, this species is claimed to have lived 113 million years ago. According to the park’s website, visitors can sometimes spot other dinosaur footprints in the park depending on weather conditions. However, traces of Acrocanthosaurus have not been seen since 2000.
Despite all this, this exciting discovery will not last long. The recent heavy rain has flooded the area. For this reason, all roads of the park are closed. The spokesperson made a statement with the heavy rain. “With rain in future forecasts, traces left during the drought are expected to be buried again soon.”
It also turned out that the tracks buried under layers of sediment help protect them from natural weathering and erosion. TPWS officials said, “While these new dinosaur tracks appeared for a short time, they brought with them curiosity and excitement about finding new dinosaur tracks in the park. Although they will soon be buried again by rain and river, Dinosaur Vallay State Park will continue to protect these 113-million-year-old trails, not just for today, but for generations to come.” said.
Many states in the US are dealing with extreme drought as a result of climate change. Severe dry conditions occur in almost all parts of Texas, particularly in the Lone Star state. This causes the water sources to dry up.
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