Houston [Texas] [US], August 25: Severe drought has exposed dinosaur tracks from around 113 million years ago in the south central U.S. state of Texas, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said.
The tracks, previously hidden underneath the Paluxy River at Dinosaur Valley State Park and discovered this month, belong to Acrocanthosaurus, which are theropods, or bipedal dinosaurs with three toes and claws on each limb, the department said in a statement.
The dinosaur would have stood 15 feet tall and weighed close to seven tons as an adult.
"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," the statement said.
"Under normal river conditions, these newer tracks are under water and are commonly filled in with sediment, making them buried and not as visible," it said.
It's not clear how many new tracks have been found and with rain in the upcoming forecasts, it is anticipated that the tracks uncovered during the drought will soon be buried again.
Data from the U.S. Drought Monitor show that Somervell County, the county home to the Dinosaur Valley State Park in northern Texas, is suffering from an "exceptional" drought.
Source: Xinhua