Re: dino tracks near Syracuse?

[Afmayor@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/3/01 6:16:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, emmar@ldeo.columbia.edu writes:

> I have not seen the Syracuse-area tracks in question, but it is interesting to note that Dr. A. King, a physician in PA in the mid-19th century, published (in Am J Sci I think) on "bird" and "mammal" tracks from the Paleozoic of PA (1840's). Charles Lyell was visiting around that time and was curious about them, took a look, and observed that they were PETROGLYPHS!!!!!!  (Note: King's "Chirotherium-like' Triassic tracks are actual tracks, not petroglyphs). Perhaps the Syracuse tracks are also petroglyphs?


Indeed, I think that the possibility of manmade rock carvings in this case is very strong, esp. in view of other large tridactyl footprints carved into granite by Native Americans in Connecticut, replicating genuine dino tracks in the rift valley there. These giant bird tracks near Syracuse might be replicas of dinosaur prints observed elsewhere in New England. 

Petroglyphs in association with actual fossil dinosaur prints (with a photo of an example from New Mexico) are discussed in the following recent article in Ichnos:

A. Mayor and W.A.S. Sarjeant. 2001. "The Folklore of Footprints in Stone: From Classical Antiquity to the Present." ICHNOS 8, no 2: 143-63.

 NATIVE AMERICAN FOSSIL LEGENDS