Dinosaur tracks......

[whatGPS]

Anybody know of any trails that have dinosaur tracks. I know of the ones in Tubac but I am hoping to find a trail that is closer to PHX. I am a Big Brothers volunteer and my little brother is crazy about dinosaurs. Any info will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
Juan

[Dschur]

There are no dinotracks in the Phoenix/Tucson area. You can find some dimetrodon tracks in the Sedona road cuts and other critters. There are also some permian leoporius (sp) (which is a mammal like reptile) tracks in the coconino sandstone. There are some that you can see at the Tonto fish hatchery and in the grand canyon and around the Ashfork area. The ones at the tonto fish hatchery are on a huge rock right by the gate that closes on the right side of the road where the trailhead is for part of the Highland trail. They are older than dinosaurs. Mesa southwest museum has an excellent thing on dinosaurs too. The Museum of Northern AZ has an exhibit right now with a cool dinosaur called THERIZINOSAUR – Mystery of the Sickle-Claw Dinosaur it will be there from September 16, 2007 – March 2009. You can find lots of fossils in many of the trails around the Payson area.

[PaleoRob]

Dschur's got it. You're going to have to get up north to see tracks...unless you're crazy, and try to find something in the Ft. Critenden Formation down near Mexico. I don't know of any tracks out there, though, and the exposures are real rough to get to.

[whatGPS]

Thanks for the replies! We did go to see the exibit at the Mesa Museum and it was excellent. The one in Flagstaff I had read about and I will be planning a day trip very soon. I think Mexico is out of the question.

Thanks again. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Juan

[big_load]

The tracks at Moenave are also a must-see for their importance in the history of our understanding of dinosaurs. They are dilophosaur tracks (the two-crested critter memorialized by a statue outside the Mesa Museum). The tracks were given a name long before anybody knew what made them.

[te_wa]

There are also some permian leoporius (which is a mammal like reptile)

'round here, we call that a Lawyer

[Dschur]

The tracks at Moenave are also a must-see for their importance in the history of our understanding of dinosaurs. They are dilophosaur tracks (the two-crested critter memorialized by a statue outside the Mesa Museum). The tracks were given a name long before anybody knew what made them.

Name of trackways dinosaur or others are always named separately from the critter that made them. It is the study of ichnites. They are interesting since it shows the behavior of the animal. If you are ever in Australia one of the best sites is at Larks Quarry. It is the site of the worlds only stampede of dinosaurs. A herd of small plant eating dinosaurs were chased by a big meat eater. It is a really neat site to see. There are also lots of trace fossils in the Grand Canyon and on the rim.

[big_load]

Name of trackways dinosaur or others are always named separately from the critter that made them. It is the study of ichnites. They are interesting since it shows the behavior of the animal.

I should have been more specific. If you accept dilophosaur as the maker of Eubrontes Giganteus, doesn't its formal track name (first discovered 1802, described 1836 by Hitchcock) predate general acceptance of the existence of dinosaurs as a whole? There are three famous early descriptions in 1824-1833 (Buckland and Mantell), but Hitchcock still thought Eubrontes was a bird.

[PaleoRob]

Name of trackways dinosaur or others are always named separately from the critter that made them. It is the study of ichnites. They are interesting since it shows the behavior of the animal.

I should have been more specific. If you accept dilophosaur as the maker of Eubrontes Giganteus, doesn't its formal track name (first discovered 1802, described 1836 by Hitchcock) predate general acceptance of the existence of dinosaurs as a whole? There are three famous early descriptions in 1824-1833 (Buckland and Mantell), but Hitchcock still thought Eubrontes was a bird.

No as ichnogenera and taxonomic general are considered totally separate. One cannot supplant the other. And one couldn't accept Dilophosaurus as the maker of Eubrontes tracks, as the age range of Eubrontes exceeds that of Dilophosaurus, and all medium-sized, early theropods had similar feet. And if Hitchcock described Eubrontes in 1836, that would not predate even earlier dinosaur discoveries (some of which you mention) from "across the pond." People back then knew that dinosaurs existed, they just didn't know what to make of them.

[big_load]

No as ichnogenera and taxonomic general are considered totally separate. One cannot supplant the other.

I suppose that makes sense as each needs its own identification before an association can be made, more so if the association is inherently difficult.

[PaleoRob]

I suppose that makes sense as each needs its own identification before an association can be made, more so if the association is inherently difficult.

Right on the money.