Dinosaur Tracks From 113 Million Years Ago Emerge As Severe Drought Dries Up Texas River In US

The massive dinosaur tracks hidden under water and layers of sediment are being seen first time after the year 2000.

This handout image obtained on August 23, 2022 courtesy of the Dinosaur Valley State Park shows dinosaur tracks from around 113 million years ago, discovered in Texas after a severe drought conditions that dried up a river.

Source : AFP

Ancient dinosaur footprints dating back to more than 100 million years have been discovered in Texas that is experiencing severe drought conditions. With widespread droughts almost entirely drying up the Paluxy river running through central Texas, multiple dinosaur tracks belonging to the Acrocanthosaurus species recently emerged at the Dinosaur Valley state park, according to reports.

While 60 prints from a single Acrocanthosaurus got exposed due to the drought conditions, there are an estimated 140 tracks in all from this creature, BBC reported. 

The massive tracks hidden under water and layers of sediment are being seen first time after the year 2000. Depending on weather conditions, the park website claims, visitors can sometimes get to see other dinosaur tracks.

The summer is excessively dry this year, and almost all of Texas is facing a drought. According to the US Drought Monitor, more than 87% of the state was last week experiencing one of the three most serious categories of drought — severe, extreme, exceptional.

Lone Ranger Trackway

Dinosaur Valley State Park superintendent Jeff Davis told BBC that the now uncovered dinosaur tracks are called the "Lone Ranger trackway", belonging to the Acrocanthosaurus who walked that trail for about 100 feet. 

The Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur measuring 15 feet in length and seven tonnes in weight inhabited the area over 113 million years ago, NBC News quoted the state park as saying. According to Davis, Acrocanthosaurus were a "typical three-toed dinosaur" known as therapods.

Sauroposeidon is the other species of dinosaur whose tracks can also be found in the park. The BBC report said the Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur likely preyed upon them. 

Meanwhile, extreme weather conditions have led to other surprises too elsewhere. With water levels declining, human remains have surfaced from the largest US reservoir, Lake Mead.

In Spain, drought has revealed a prehistoric stone circle known as Dolmen of Guadalperal from a reservoir. Popularly called the 'Spanish Stonehenge', the circle comprises dozens of megalithic stones dating back to 5000 BC.