ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Fossil Friday: Dinosaur tracks make solid impression in Valley Forge Park

It's still really cool to be able to visit an area which was literally roamed by the dinosaurs -- and the fossils are excellently preserved.

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
March 29, 2019 - Updated on March 31, 2019
in Science
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

In 1777, the revolutionary army led by George Washington endured a tough winter in what is now Valley Forge State Park, Pennsylvania. The struggling army survived and ultimately triumphed, paving the way for establishing the United States of America. But 200 million years ago, the park had a different history.

Dozens of fossilized dinosaur footprints were discovered on rocks used to pave a section of the hiking trail. Look at them passingly and you might mistake them for a weird rock pattern — and for the longest time, that’s what happened. The traces were discovered by a volunteer at the park in rock slabs which were purchased from a nearby quarry. Joggers, hikers, and dogs walked by them for years without ever noticing.

“There’s no question that they are” dinosaur trace fossils, said Santucci, who examined them in person last April. “They’re consistent with the tracks that occur in equivalent-age beds all over the East Coast.”

Image credits: Matt Rourke.

The footprints are so-called trace fossils: impressions made on the substrate by an organism. Essentially, dinosaurs left footprints on soft and wet mud. The footprints were quickly covered by sediment, which solidified and hardened before the footprints were eliminated by erosion. This sediment was finally buried by even more sediment, which helped further preserve the imprints.

The footprints were dated to 210 million years ago, the early days of the dinosaurs — more than 100 million years before the infamous T-Rex even roamed the land. The footprints belong to three-toed dinosaurs, as well as a non-dinosaur reptile, a relative of the modern crocodile. The largest would have been a bipedal theropod that was 6 (1.8 meters) to 9 feet (2.7 meters) long and 4 (1.2 meters) to 6 feet (1.8 meters) high.

Image credits: Matt Rourke.

While researchers suspect that they don’t really add much scientific information to the existing body of knowledge about this group of dinosaurs, it’s still really cool to be able to visit an area which was literally roamed by the dinosaurs — and the fossils are excellently preserved.

However, in order to protect these footprints, the National Park Service has decided to not disclose their exact location — so if you want to find them, you’ll have to explore the Valley Forge Park yourself!

RelatedPosts

Giving pawse to wrongdoers: neighborhoods with more dogs experience less crime
Giant Planet Was Just Caught Falling Into Its Star and It Changes What We Thought About Planetary Death
Massive algae bloom in Arctic region raises crucial questions
Adidas unveils new sneakers made from recycled ocean trash

 

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Animals

How Bees Use the Sun for Navigation Even on Cloudy Days

byMihai Andrei
2 days ago
Inventions

Scientists Quietly Developed a 6G Chip Capable of 100 Gbps Speeds

byMihai Andrei
2 days ago
Physics

When Ice Gets Bent, It Sparks: A Surprising Source of Electricity in Nature’s Coldest Corners

byTudor Tarita
2 days ago
Future

This Teen Scientist Turned a $0.50 Bar of Soap Into a Cancer-Fighting Breakthrough and Became ‘America’s Top Young Scientist’

byTibi Puiu
2 days ago

Recent news

How Bees Use the Sun for Navigation Even on Cloudy Days

September 12, 2025

Scientists Quietly Developed a 6G Chip Capable of 100 Gbps Speeds

September 12, 2025

When Ice Gets Bent, It Sparks: A Surprising Source of Electricity in Nature’s Coldest Corners

September 12, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.