Many people love dinosaurs, maybe Jurassic World movies have something to do with it. If you belong to this group of dinosaur lovers, imagine walking through your neighborhood and suddenly seeing the tracks of a giant creature that lived over 100 million years ago. That’s exactly the story we are going to tell you today! It happened in Texas, where a massive flood uncovered hidden dinosaur tracks and gave people today a glimpse into prehistoric times.
Of course, we have heard about dinosaur fossils before, but this one is special because it was found by a volunteer helping with the rescue work. So, let’s find out more about this amazing discovery, shall we?
The big storm in Texas
In July, a powerful storm hit Texas Hill Country. It rained so much that the water rose up to six meters high in some places. The floods swept away trees, cars, and even entire houses. Sadly, more than 100 people died, and many families lost their homes.
But while rescue teams were working, something unexpected happened: the rushing water uncovered ancient dinosaur tracks that had been hidden under dirt and stone for millions of years.
The discovery
This happened in Sandy Creek, Travis County, where a volunteer saw 15 giant three-toed footprints. How crazy that must have been? Experts later confirmed they were left by a dinosaur called Acrocanthosaurus, so let’s see some features about the discovery:
- It lived about 110 million years ago
- It measured around 11 meters long.
- It walked on two legs.
- Each footprint was about 45 to 50 centimeters long, almost as big as half a person’s leg!
The darker side of Sandy Creek
These types of discoveries tend to be something to celebrate and be happy about, but this time it’s a combination of sadness and joy. Of course, for the scientific community this is a great opportunity to learn more about the past, but for residents this day will be remembered for the floods that swept away their houses and destroyed entire neighborhoods.
Protecting the tracks
The goal is to preserve this prehistoric treasure so future generations can study it and marvel at it, so cleanup crews have been asked not to use heavy machinery near the prints and to mark off the area for protection. I mean, after finding this treasure in a tragedy, they’d better be careful.
How do we know they are so old?
The footprints were found in a rock layer called the Glen Rose Formation, which scientists know is between 110 and 115 million years old.
Back when the dinosaur walked across wet mud, its steps sank into the ground. Over time, the prints filled with sediment and hardened into stone. That’s why, millions of years later, we can still see the exact shape of its feet.
Why this discovery matters
Texas is already famous for its dinosaur footprints. They’ve been found in several places across the state. But each new discovery helps scientists:
- Identify which species of dinosaur lived there.
- Understand how dinosaurs walked and moved.
- Recreate what the environment looked like over 100 million years ago.
For ordinary people, seeing these tracks is like stepping into a time machine. They let us imagine a world full of giant dinosaur creatures roaming the land.
To sum up
Unfortunately, a tragedy led to the footprints of a dinosaur that walked across Texas 110 million years ago. Just imagine: the same ground we stand on today was once home to massive prehistoric animals. It’s crazy if you stop and think about it.
At first it must have been a shock for that volunteer who found the footprints, but it’s an amazing story not most people can tell. What would you do if you suddenly found the footprints of a dinosaur in your neighborhood?