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Officials: Dinosaur tracks found in Texas belong to 15-foot-tall, seven-ton dinosaur

The tracks, found in Dinosaur Valley State Park, were said to date back to 113 million years ago

Due to the excessive drought conditions this past summer, the river dried up completely in most locations, allowing for more tracks to be uncovered here in the park, said TPWD spokesperson Stephanie Salinas Garcia. (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department)

GLEN ROSE, Texas – There’s no question that dinosaurs roamed the land in Texas millions of years ago.

Last week, dinosaur tracks were discovered in Texas at a state park after a year of excessive drought, KSAT reported.

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“Most tracks that have recently been uncovered and discovered at different parts of the river in the park belong to Acrocanthosaurus,” a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson told KSAT. “This was a dinosaur that would stand, as an adult, about 15 feet tall and weighed close to seven tons. Sauroposeidon, the other species that left tracks behind, would be about 60 feet tall and weigh about 44 tons as an adult.”

The tracks were found in Dinosaur Valley State Park in the Paluxy River, which was dried in several areas, KSAT reported.

Our sister station said that the area is usually underwater and filled with sediment, which buries the tracks when the river is flowing with water.

But, KSAT said that the tracks won’t be visible for long – downpours and flooding have hit the park, according to the park’s website, closing all trails.

“With rain in the upcoming forecasts, it is anticipated that the tracks uncovered during the drought will soon be buried again,” the spokesperson told KSAT.

While the discovery is exciting and won’t stick around for very long, experts said that they’ll continue to protect them.

“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,” TPWD officials told KSAT. “While they will soon be buried again by the rain and the river, Dinosaur Valley State Park will continue to protect these 113-million-year-old tracks not only for present but future generations.”

You can watch a video of the tracks by the Dinosaur Valley State Park below.

Dinosaur track magic trick. Just sprinkle a little water on these infill tracks and the color pops. So cool. Glen Kuban | Paul Baker | Friends of Dinosaur Valley State Park.

Posted by Dinosaur Valley State Park - Friends on Monday, August 29, 2022

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Alli Graham came aboard the digital team as an evening digital content producer in June 2022.

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