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Dinosaur tracks from 113 million years ago discovered as Texas river dries out 

When dinosaur tracks are underwater, they are hard to spot because they are filled with sediment, making them buried less visible

August 25, 2022 7:39pm

Updated: August 25, 2022 8:58pm

Dinosaur tracks from 113 million years ago were discovered at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas after severe drought conditions dried up a river, the park announced on Monday. 

"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.

Texas has seen an excessive drought this summer, causing the river in the park to dry out completely at several spots. One of the places that dried out revealed the dinosaur tracks. 

When dinosaur tracks are underwater, they are hard to spot because they are filled with sediment, making them buried less visible, said the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

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

More than 60% of Texas has experienced drought, with several counties registering “extreme drought” or “exceptional drought”, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Additionally, temperatures reached the triple digits over the last two weeks.

However, the tracks are expected to be buried once again with rain in the forecast for the next few days. 

"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 dinosaur tracks are just one of several discoveries that have been recently made as bodies of water are drying up due to extreme drought. For example, the receding water level of Lake Mead has revealed several human remains. 

Similarly, droughts in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq caused the waters of the Tigris River to recede, leading archeologists to discover a 3,400-year-old lost city.