Severe drought conditions in Texas have revealed ancient dinosaur footprints that date back more than 100m years.
Multiple dinosaur tracks belonging to the Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur were discovered recently at Dinosaur Valley state park in north-west Texas as widespread droughts have caused a river running through central Texas to dry up almost entirely.
Prints from the Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur were uncovered in the almost entirely dried-up Paluxy River. The 15ft, seven-ton creature once inhabited the area over 113m years ago, confirmed the state park in an email to NBC News.
Drought conditions have revealed about 60 prints from the Acrocanthosaurus, with an estimated 140 tracks from the dinosaur in total, the BBC reported.
“Most tracks that have recently been uncovered and discovered at different parts of the river in the park belong to Acrocanthosaurus,” said a park spokesperson, Stephanie Salinas Garcia, in an email to CNN.
Tracks from the Acrocanthosaurus had not been seen since 2000, with the prints hidden under layers of water and sediment, though visitors can sometimes see other dinosaur tracks at the state park depending on weather conditions, according to the park’s website.
Prints from the Sauroposeidon, a 66ft creature that once weighed about 48 tons when fully matured, were also discovered. Experts believe that the Acrocanthosaurus preyed on Sauroposeidon, explaining why their prints were discovered together.
Several states across the US are dealing with extreme drought, an escalating consequence of climate change.
Dips in water levels across key water reservoirs have caused the federal government to intervene, issuing cuts in water use that will affect Arizona, Nevada and Mexico.
In Texas, almost all areas in the Lone Star state are experiencing severe drought conditions, causing water sources to dry up.
Depleting water levels have uncovered other discoveries besides dinosaur prints. In Lake Mead, human remains and a ship dating back to the second world war were discovered as water levels fell during the longstanding drought.