Dinosaur Valley State Park
K. Reiter
Dinosaur Valley State Park is located in Glen Rose, Texas. It covers 1,587 acres of land. Visitors come from miles around to view the giant dinosaur tracks left on the bed of the Paluxy River, a tributary of the Brazos River. Most of the tracks are Sauropod tracks left by Sauroposeidon proteles. These tracks are large elephant-like tracks.
The other type of tracks that can be seen are Theropod tracks. These tracks are smaller and often show a distinct three-toed pattern. These tracks are believed to have been made by the Acrocanthosaurus, a smaller relative to the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Drawing of a Sauroposeidon proteles and Acrocanthosaurus by Mike O’Brien
In 1908, a flood destroyed bridges and culverts on the river and scoured the riverbed. A year later, a nine-year-old boy named George Adams discovered a large, three-toed track in the limestone bed of the river.
Nearly 30 years later, R.T. Bird, a fossil collector for the American Museum of Natural History in New York, saw one of the tracks in a shop in New Mexico. He wanted to check it out for himself, so he headed to Texas. He discovered that there were not only the three-toed theropod tracks but also what looked like sauropod tracks. This was the first proof that sauropods walked on land.
Theropod Track
In 1972, the Dinosaur Valley State Park opened with a mission to preserve the tracks and allow visitors to enjoy them. When families visit the park, they will be greeted by a 70 feet Apatosaurus and a 45 feet T-Rex near the front entrance. The models were displayed in 1964-65 at New York’s World’s Fair. They were donated to the park in 1970. Families are sure to have fun and learn some history at the Dinosaur Valley State Park.
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A explaining steps to take when one visits the Dinosaur Valley State Parkexplaining steps to take when one visits the Dinosaur Valley State Park
B giving facts about how and when dinosaur tracks were found at the parkgiving facts about how and when dinosaur tracks were found at the park
C giving the effects of preserving fossils for the public to seegiving the effects of preserving fossils for the public to see
D showing different ways the public can view the tracks at the parkshowing different ways the public can view the tracks at the park