GLEN ROSE, Texas — The ongoing drought in Texas had done a bit of good in a part of the state when ancient dinosaur tracks were unearthed in a dried-up river.
CNN reports that tracks from an Acrocanthosaurus were found recently in Dinosaur Valley State Park, located just outside Dallas. Park officials said the dinosaur stood about 15 feet tall and weighed close to seven tons.
A spokesperson for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department told The New York Times that the tracks were discovered this month at the Paluxy River.
Like many states in the West and Southwest, Texas has been experiencing severe drought conditions impacting water availability. With the river inside the Texas state park dried up, it allowed officials to make the find in areas that are usually under mud and water.
The park's Facebook page posted photos of the tracks, saying their location is "one of the largest dinosaur trackways in the world."
The news outlets reported that other tracks discovered at the park belonged to a long-necked, small-headed dinosaur called Sauroposeidon proteles.
According to the news outlets, the species stood 60 feet tall and weighed 44 tons.
While the find has become a park attraction in itself, it is not expected to be around for long as much-needed rains are expected to return to the area and hide the tracks under the river once again.
