Dinotopia

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 06:37 AM

Bo, Win and I are headed to check this out today. Will let you know whats up. (And you thought we would never get out there)

About 190 million years ago, a sharp-toothed and clawed carnivorous dinosaur about the size of a robin left a lasting impression on southern Utah.
And those fossilized footprints - along with stone tracks of five other dino species, including three-toed crocodiles and a 35-foot-long, four-toed plant-munching prosauropod - have been discovered in a popular off-road-riding area in Kane County.
The site, five miles southwest of Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park on Bureau of Land Management property, was reported to a BLM worker by hunters about three weeks ago.
Recognizing the significance of the prehistoric prints - thousands of them - officials quickly closed a football-field-sized area to ATVs.
"Some people knew the tracks were out there, but we didn't," BLM spokesman Larry Crutchfield said. "But most people didn't even know they were riding over dinosaur tracks."
Crutchfield said the BLM shut down the site after consulting with the county's natural-resources committee and area ATV clubs.
"Everyone agrees the site should be preserved," said Crutchfield, noting tire marks have scarred some tracks.
Officials plan to fence the site and add interpretive displays.
One of the site's most tantalizing features is a series of about 100 layers that allow the geologic record to be read like pages in a book.
"It is like a window we can look through at a time 190 million years ago, see its ecosystem," said Martin Lockley, who heads the Dinosaur Tracks Museum at the University of Colorado at Denver.
Lockley visited the site this week to inventory the area for a report to the BLM.
He said the creatures made the thousands of footprints at a time when the region was a desert as harsh as the Sahara - with intermittent deluges that left pools for crocodiles and spawned vegetation for plant-eating beasts.
"You rarely find herbivores in a desert," Lockley said.
Andrew Milner, the paleontologist and curator at the Johnson Farm track site in nearby St. George, is helping to investigate the new location.
Milner said the Johnson track site was created in the same Navajo sandstone formations. The prints at both sites are 100 million-plus years older than the fossils being extracted in neighboring Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
BLM paleontologist Alan Titus said the latest track find is extraordinary for its accessibility and high concentration of footprints.
"Besides the sheer numbers," Titus said, "the site will be studied for what conditions existed to keep them preserved so well."
Titus had heard about the tracks before, but never investigated them until recently.
"A local ATV rider told me about the site and I had planned to go see them," he said. "But when I saw a picture of the site, I had to get out there. I had no idea there were so many. "
mhavnes@sltrib.com

About the track site

* Location: ATV area about 20 miles west of Kanab.
* Features: Thousands of tracks from at least six dinosaur species.
* Age: Made in early Jurassic period 190 million years ago.
* Plans: Area has been closed and will be fenced with interpretive materials added.

http://origin.sltrib.com/ci_7597739

**Sponsored Link** · 12-23-2007 06:37 AM

**sparker1** · 12-23-2007, 07:56 AM

Not sure when I'll get to see these in person, so I'm eager to see your pictures. I've seen those in St George (unimpressive display), and some really good sites in WY and AZ.

**Win** · 12-23-2007, 05:31 PM

We had a great time, Tanya, really enjoyed yours and Bo's company. We all took a lot of pictures and wandered around for a couple of hours. A beautiful spot and the temp climbed from the teens to the high 30s. Perfect.

My album:
http://winpics.fototime.com/Dinosaur...ints%2012/2007

Win

My wife, Bo and Tanya:

One series of three tracks:

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 06:22 PM

Great Photos....

I feel asleep! I have not loaded mine yet! ... and I must clean off my desk top a bit first... or they won't fit!

FUN Trip! It was nice to meet you Win and your pretty wife!

**accadacca** · 12-23-2007, 06:29 PM

Finally the dino trip! Waiting for more photos. Nice job Win.

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 06:56 PM

As you request

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 07:00 PM

more

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 07:05 PM

more

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 07:09 PM

Win and Bo

You can see the ATV tracks in the dirt in this shot, where they use to ride all over the dino tracks.

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 07:11 PM

Last one... there are lots more, but last to post here. :)

**DesertWoodrat** · 12-23-2007, 07:14 PM

Awesome pictures!

When I first heard about this area I wanted to see pictures of it. Thanks for posting them.

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 07:15 PM

Hi New Person :)

Where is Huntington?

**DesertWoodrat** · 12-23-2007, 07:28 PM

Huntington is a small town 20 miles south of Price. A great starting place to get into the northern part of the San Rafael Swell.

**sparker1** · 12-23-2007, 07:42 PM

Win and Tanya, thanks a lot for posting these. Some of them seem to be as large as the ones I saw in Az, about a foot long. Is that about right?

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 07:43 PM

The prints at both sites are 100 million-plus years older than the fossils being extracted in neighboring Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. BLM paleontologist Alan Titus said the latest track find is extraordinary for its accessibility and high concentration of footprints.

This is really cool! I found out the other day that a lady who I do her circut class at the gym is Titus's wife. Wonderful lady!

**tanya** · 12-23-2007, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by sparker1

Win and Tanya, thanks a lot for posting these. Some of them seem to be as large as the ones I saw in Az, about a foot long. Is that about right?

There was a variety... some tiny.. some large.. some fat... but there were some a foot long. Those long series of tracks Win and I posted where both more than a foot long.

**Win** · 12-24-2007, 05:44 AM

There really were quite a few different tracks and size varied from a few inches up to about a foot. It was interesting how they were concentrated in one area. Some were so crisp you'd think they were made yesterday. The set that Tanya posted was outstanding!

Win

**tanya** · 12-24-2007, 06:31 AM

"Recognizing the significance of the prehistoric prints - thousands of them "

Why is it when we go and look for things like this.... we can never find as many as they claim?

Same things with petro/pictographs?

What do they know we dont?

**Bo_Beck** · 12-24-2007, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by tanya

"Recognizing the significance of the prehistoric prints - thousands of them "

Why is it when we go and look for things like this.... we can never find as many as they claim?

Same things with petro/pictographs?

What do they know we dont?

Maybe they have spent weeks in there exploring compared to our "hours" and maybe the snow covered some of the tracks? Also....there is a heck of a lot of slickrock out there!

**tanya** · 12-26-2007, 09:25 AM

It would be interesting to go out with the scientist and see exactly what they are looking at.

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