100 million -year -old dinosaurs’ fingerprints revealed by floods in Texas

The violent floods that struck the center of Texas in early July, causing the tragic death of at least 135 people, also made it possible to make an amazing discovery: traces of dinosaurs dating back more than 100 million years.

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In the County of Travis, a volunteer who helped the inhabitants clean the debris discovered on Monday 15 large prints with three claws along the Sandy Creek river.

These traces, clearly visible in the limestone rock bleached by water, measure between 45 and 50 centimeters long. Moreover, They date from 110 to 115 million years. Consequently, are preserved in 100 million -year -old dinosaurs’ an old rock formation called Glen Rose, typical of this region.

The fingerprints could have been left by a carnivorous dinosaur similar to acrocanthosaurus. a bipedal predator that can measure up to 11 meters long, said the paleontologist at the University of Texas in Austin, Matthew Brown, in CNN.

The site has since been inspected by experts to assess the risks for the fingerprints. Local authorities work with specialists to ensure that the heavy devices used in cleaning operations do not damage them.

Professor Brown. his team help people in the field to spot traces and intend to return to document the site using cards and 3D images.

The paleontologist hopes to learn more about the creatures that crossed the region. thus determine if it was a group or a lonely dinosaur.

Not the first time

This is not the first time that traces of dinosaurs have been discovered in 100 million -year -old dinosaurs’ Texas. according to CNN.

Screenshot/CNN/Carl Strover

The Dinosaur Valley National Park, located north of the County of Travis, is famous for its fingerprints of sauropods and old -year -old theropods of 113 million years.

However. this new discovery draws attention by its unexpected context: it appeared in an area usually dry, made unrecognizable by the flood.

The level of the Sandy Creek river rose up to 6 meters during floods, taking trees, vehicles, houses … and the earth that covered the imprints.

Although the majority of the damage. deaths caused by the July floods were concentrated in Kerr County, 10 100 million -year -old dinosaurs’ dead were identified in the county of Travis and certain sections were overwhelmed by the catastrophic storm.