Multiple dinosaur tracks belonging to the dinosaur Acrocanthosaurus were recently discovered at Dinosaur Valley State Park in northwest Texas, as widespread droughts have caused a river that runs through central Texas to nearly dry up. Footprints from the dinosaur Acrocanthosaurus were discovered in the almost completely dried up Paluxy River. The 15-meter, seven-ton creature once inhabited the area more than 113 million years ago, the state park confirmed in an email to NBC News. The dry conditions revealed about 60 footprints from Acrocanthosaurus, with about 140 pieces of the dinosaur in total, the BBC reported. “Most of the tracks recently uncovered and discovered in different parts of the river in the park belong to Acrocanthosaurus,” park spokeswoman Stephanie Salinas Garcia said in an email to CNN. Tracks from Acrocanthosaurus hadn’t been seen since 2000, with the footprints 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 . Also discovered were footprints from Sauroposeidon, a 66-foot creature that once weighed about 48 tons when fully mature. Experts believe that Acrocanthosaurus preyed on Saurosidon, explaining why their footprints were discovered together. Several states in the US are experiencing extreme drought, an escalating consequence of climate change. Falling water levels in key water reservoirs have prompted the federal government to step in, issuing water use cuts that will affect Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. In Texas, nearly all areas in the Lone Star State are experiencing severe drought conditions, causing water sources to dry up. Depleting the water table has revealed other discoveries besides dinosaur footprints. In Lake Mead, human remains and a ship dating back to World War II were discovered as water levels dropped during the long drought.
