Dinosaur tracks and other trace fossils provide important insights into the behaviors, locomotion, postures, and environments of ancient creatures that are often difficult to glean from body fossils alone. Glen Kuban’s presentation will include an overview of the dinosaur tracks, including basic types of tracks, where they are found, and how they are studied and documented. Glen will also discuss his 45+ years of first-hand research on the remarkably abundant, varied, and well-preserved dinosaur tracks in Texas, and various debates and controversies surrounding them. These include claims by some young-Earth advocates that “giant human tracks” occurred alongside tracks in Glen Rose, Texas. Glen’s work spearheaded the resolution of the controversy, and led to new insights into dinosaur locomotion and variations in track preservation.
Glen will also discuss exciting new finds during severe droughts in central Texas in 2022 and 2023, when he and many volunteer coworkers uncovered hundreds of new tracks, including new types of tracks and evidence of new trackmaker behaviors. The talk will thus illustrate the great scientific value of dinosaur tracks, as well as the thrill and challenges in studying them. As Glen wrote, “Some trackways are so fresh-looking that it is not hard to imagine the trackmakers having strode by only moments before. Unless the fantasy of cloning dinosaurs becomes a reality, this is probably the closest we can come to standing beside a living, breathing dinosaur.
To learn more about Glen’s work you can visit his Paluxy website, which contains many of his articles and papers, as well as a large photo gallery of Texas tracks, and links to other info and articles. http://paleo.cc/paluxy/ovrdino.htm
This meeting will take place over Zoom. To receive the Zoom link, you must register for the meeting.
NHSM’s Fossil Club is a group of novice and more experienced collectors who meet to share knowledge and discuss fossil identification, fossil locations, and other fossil-related topics. Monthly meetings feature guest speakers both from within the club and from outside organizations. We also strive to schedule frequent collection trips to various locations.
Although you don’t need to be a member to attend a meeting, membership gives you access to additional experiences. An annual NHSM membership is $35 for individuals, $50 for families; Fossil Club membership is an additional $5 for individuals and $10 for families.
If you are not yet a member of NHSM,click here to join. When you join as a new member, you can add the club membership(s) of your choice to your registration. Current NHSM members who wish to join any clubs should email the Community Coordinator atrbaldwin@marylandnature.org.
