Dinosaur tracks from 113 million years ago uncovered due to severe drought conditions at Dinosaur Valley State Park

Dinosaur tracks from around 113 million years ago have been revealed at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas due to severe drought conditions that dried up a river, the park said Monday in a statement.

“Most tracks that have recently been uncovered and discovered at different parts of the river in the park belong to Acrocanthosaurus. This was a dinosaur that would stand, as an adult, about 15 feet tall and (weigh) close to seven tons,” park spokesperson Stephanie Salinas Garcia told CNN in an email.

The other species that left tracks behind at the park in Glen Rose, Texas, was Sauroposeidon, which would be about 60 feet tall and weigh about 44 tons as an adult, Garcia added.

This summer’s excessive drought has caused a river in the park to dry out completely in most spots, revealing the tracks – the latest long-hidden secret recently exposed as bodies of water have dried up due to drought conditions across the globe.

The dinosaur tracks date from around 113 million years ago.

More than 60% of Texas was experiencing drought last week in two of the most intense categories, according to the US Drought Monitor. The state also recently has experienced heat waves that pushed temperatures into the triple digits, leaving millions under excessive heat alerts.

The human-caused climate crisis, too, has increased the potential for more frequent dramatic swings in periods of drought and high precipitation, such as flash flooding this week in the Dallas area.

Under normal weather conditions, the dinosaur tracks found in the riverbed are under the water and filled with sediment, which makes them less visible, Garcia explained.

“Being able to find these discoveries and experience new dinosaur tracks is always an exciting time at the park!” Garcia added.

A close-up of the dinosaur tracks

Meanwhile, the tracks are expected to be buried again as rain is forecast, said Garcia, who added the process helps protect the tracks from natural weathering and erosion.

“While these newer dinosaur tracks were visible for a brief amount of time, it brought about the wonder and excitement about finding new dinosaur tracks at the park,” Garcia said. “Dinosaur Valley State Park will continue to protect these 113-million year-old tracks not only for present, but future generations.”

The tracks are just the latest discovery uncovered by falling water levels due to drought, both in the US and abroad: Several sets of human remains have been discovered at Lake Mead in Utah in recent months as the reservoir has dropped to about 27% of its full capacity.

In Eastern Serbia, dozens of German warships still laden with explosives were exposed in the drying Danube River. A prehistoric stone circle dubbed the Spanish Stonehenge was revealed in the diminishing Valdecanas reservoir in rural Spain. And Buddhist statues believed to be 600 years old were found in the depleted Yangtze River.

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Updated 10:42 PM EDT, Tue August 23, 2022

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