Re: Sauropods in wet versus dry environments... a tip of the hatto some past artists (Was Re. Lost Worlds)

[Richard W Travsky <rtravsky@uwyo.edu>]

On Thu, 17 Jan 2002, Graydon wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 16, 2002 at 08:18:55PM -0800, Tracy L. Ford scripsit:
> > Ok, educate us. How could a terrestrial, dry track be fossilized without it
> > being covered up by sediment from an aquatic force? (Had to think how to
> > write that one :) ).
> 
> There are burrows that have been preserved by being filled by
> wind-blown, rather than water-borne, sediments, and the famous hominid
> tracks that were preserved by ashfall from a volcano. These are much
> more recent than any dinosaur period, but it seems possible that
> sauropod tracks in a relatively dry soil could be covered by fine,
> sufficently distinct air borne particles that they would be preserved.

The Laetoli tracks show evidence of rainfall along with the ash.

> 
> I don't know of any cases were this happened.
> 
> Similarly, it's just possible that tracks in a clay soil could be
> preserved by being fired into a ceramic by a forest fire, but that would
> go beyond good luck.