Ballroom Theropod "Baby" Tracks 2023
In 2023 over a dozen tiny tracks (most only several inches in length, although the rear portions are typically ill-defined) were found on the Ballroom site. Most were overlooked during the "Big Mapping Project" of 2009, due to their generally shallow and partially preserved nature, and the need to clean the surface especially well to notice them. Several of these tiny tracks appear to be in line with each other, although there are large gaps where larger tracks interrupt the sequence. Another sequence of several small and shallow tracks occurs at the newly exposed far south end of the site, and several isolated "baby" tracks occur on the north side of the site. Although these tracks may well be real baby (very young) individuals of a large theropod (probably Acrocanthosaurus), it's also possible that some may be tracks of a small dinosaur species, especially those that appear to have digits held closer together than is typically the case for Acros or other similar theropods (although this might just be doe to normal variation and digit flexibility. One could also argue that the digit splaying may have changed as the animal grew, but some "baby" tracks do show normally wide splaying, while others show narrow splaying.
Several rubber molds were made to permanently record their 3 dimensional contours. Although some of the tracks appear to show only two definite toe impressions, this probably indicates incomplete preservation rather than a dinosaur that had only two toes or (like some "raptors") a slashing claw held high on the foot.
For photos of Ballroom photos from previous years, see:
http://paleo.cc/paluxy/ballroom/Ballroom Menu.htm
All photos (C) 2023 Glen J. Kuban unless otherwise indicated
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