A series of dinosaur tracks in a strata of solid rock may be seen in the bed of a creek near the Black
Mesa. The area where the tracks are found was at one time a swamp and forest area.
There are three sets of tracks in the creek bed - the main set, a shallower but similar set about 50
yards upstream, and a smaller and much more eroded set downstream. These tracks are in Jurassic
formation - sandstone - 150 millions years old. These tracks were probably made by plant-eaters
because of the large size of the tracks and the webbed toes. (Meat-eaters left smaller tracks [except for
the Tyrannosaurus] and were pointy-toed.) You can tell the size of one of these dinosaurs by measuring
across the tracks (18") and multiply by four, giving you the hip-height . . . in this case about 6 feet.
Therefore this dinosaur, from head to tail, was about 25 - 30 feet long, walked on hind legs (since no
front leg prints are visible) and did not drag a tail. Tracks close together indicate walking slowly along a
beach or pool, maybe foraging for food. If you look closely you can actually see how the dinosaur's
weight pushed the mud up to one side on each step. Almost all tracks found worldwide are so eroded
you can no longer see the mud pushes.
If you are interested in dinosaurs, be sure to check out the
tracks at either Clayton Lake, New Mexico or the Dinosaur Quarry
just east of the "Old Maid", off highway 325.
Graphics by Laurie McCannas 