New Dinosaur Tracks Show Ancient Species Hung Out Together

Welcome, young paleontology aficionados and dinosaur-curious adults! Gather ‘round as I take you on a slightly humorous, always educational journey back in time to the moment when dinosaurs moseyed across what we now know as Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada.

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🦖 Mud, Footprints & Mixed Dinosaur Herds

In July 2024, paleontologists stumbled upon something truly extraordinary at a newly dug-out site they playfully nicknamed the Skyline Tracksite. Though Dinosaur Provincial Park is famous for bones – over 50 species found in its fossil-rich badlands – it rarely offers full dinosaur footprints. So finding a patch of ancient mud that looked like it had been squelched between toes was quite the surprise.

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Who Left Those Tracks?

After carefully excavating the rock, with tiny tools like corn brooms and paintbrushes (yes, it’s that delicate), the team uncovered:

• Thirteen ceratopsian footprints, made by at least five horned dinosaurs walking together,
• An ankylosaurid footprint meandering right among them, and
• One track from a smaller meat-eating theropod trailing in the same group.

Imagine them as a Cretaceous version of zebras, wildebeest, and impalas – different species traveling together for safety. This is the first-ever sign of mixed-species herding in dinosaurs, discovered in this park.

Chatting about this discovery, Dr. Phil Bell joked that walking on the tracksite felt a bit like tiptoeing between dinosaur toes – ancient footprints frozen in time.

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And the Tyrannosaurs Showed Up Too…

While the herd tracks were fascinating, what happened next gave everyone goosebumps. Two large tyrannosaur footprints were found walking side-by-side – perpendicular to the ceratopsian group. It might mean the tyrannosaurs were silently stalking the herd, paused to size them up. “A pretty chilling thought,” in the words of Dr. Bell.

So you’ve got a peaceful, mixed-species herd minding its business…and two big predators watching from the sidelines. Imagine the tension in that prehistoric moment!

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What This Tells Us About Dinosaur Behavior

These trackways go beyond bones – they’re trace fossils or ichnites, capturing a slice of life from 76 million years ago. While bones reveal anatomy, tracks reveal behavior: social patterns, speed, formation. Mixed-species trackways tell us dinosaurs might’ve banded together much like modern herds, possibly for mutual protection.

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Why Dinosaur Provincial Park Is a Treasure Trove

Established in 1955 and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, Dinosaur Provincial Park covers roughly 73 km², carved by the Red Deer River through colorful badlands.

It’s not just unusual fossils that make it special – this place has produced more than 300 first-rate dinosaur skeletons representing over 50 species from the Late Cretaceous, all preserved in a river-delta landscape that once teemed with palms, floodplains, and abundant wildlife.

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Fun Fact Corner

• Despite thousands of dinosaur bones found here, actual footprints are rare – they tended to erode quickly in Alberta’s badlands. The Skyline Tracksite apparently preserved its tracks in a more typical natural mold an is now a rare gem in the fossil record.
• The mixed-species herding resembles modern African herds: safety in diversity – like zebras and wildebeest traveling together.

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Wrapping It Up: A Time-Travel Snack

• 🏞️ Dinosaur Provincial Park = museum without walls, loaded with fossils and badlands drama.
• 🦕 Skyline Tracksite = prehistoric highway, where horned dinosaurs, an armored guy, and a little theropod stroll together.
• 🦖 Watching from the side = two tyrannosaur footprints, perched like shadowy spectators.

So next time you think of dinosaur fossils, don’t only picture bones in display cases. Think of dinosaur tracks as real-life snapshots – moments in time when creatures walked side by side or eyed each other across the ancient landscape.

And yes – mixed-species dino herds were a real thing. Who knew?

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Stay curious and keep exploring – whether it’s with bones, footprints, or just your imagination. If you ever want blog posts about dinosaur diets, giant flying reptiles, or how paleontologists dig up fossils (sometimes with paintbrushes!), I’ve got plenty where that came from!

📚 Credits & Further Reading

• Discover Wildlife: “Dinosaur tracksite reveals first evidence of mixed-species dinosaur herds”
• Phys.org: “Dinosaur tracks reveal evidence of mixed-species herding”
• PLOS ONE: “New ichnological evidence from the Dinosaur Park Formation, Alberta”
• Wikipedia: Dinosaur Provincial Park, Fossil track
• Parks Canada: UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Dinosaur Provincial Park

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