The History of Dinosaur Footprint Discoveries in Wyoming with Emphasis on the Bighorn Basin

Abstract

Dinosaur traces are well known from the western United States in the Colorado Plateau region (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona). Utah contains the greatest abundance of known and documented dinosaur footprints and trackways. Far less well known, however, is the occurrence and distribution of dinosaur footprint-bearing horizons in Wyoming. Scientific studies over the past 10 years have shown that three of the four Middle and Upper Jurassic formations in northern Wyoming contain dinosaur footprints. Two of the footprint-bearing horizons are located in geologic intervals that were once thought to have been deposited in offshore to nearshore marine settings and represent rare North American examples of Middle Jurassic (Bajocian and Bathonian) dinosaur remains. Some of these new Wyoming sites can be correlated to known dinosaur footprint-bearing horizons or intervals in Utah. Wyoming has a great potential for additional discoveries of new dinosaur footprint-bearing horizons, and further prospecting and study is warranted and will ultimately lead to a much better understanding of the geographic distribution and behavior of the potential footprint-makers.

Keywords:

• Dinosaur
• Jurassic
• trackways
• footprints
• trace fossils
• Wyoming

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

E.K. and G.J. acknowledge Hans-Jacob Siber and Burkhardt Pohl, who work long hours for little to no pay, who toil for the love of the science and art of dinosaur paleontology, make their quarries and specimens available for qualified researchers, practice patience and solid collecting procedures, and take the time to educate the public on what they do and what they are finding. These people perform a public service, as well as an academic service to further dinosaur paleontology. Keep up the good work!