Paluxy Ballroom Site "Squiggle Marks"
All photos © 2009, 2011, and 2023 by Glen J. Kuban unless otherwise indicated
Years ago I coined the term "squiggles" to refer to several trails of long, irregular markings that occur on a number of sites, including the Denio Site, Opossum Site,
and Ballroom Site. At least three different types of squiggles appear to exist on these sites, and I originally thought all might have been made by a variety of large
invertebrates. However, after further study during the drought of 2023, I have concluded that the Ballroom squiggles (which includes a trail over 15 ft long, and a few less
distinct shorter ones), were more likely made by a walking fish, similar to modern
mud-skippers, lungfish, or walking catfish, which make similar trails. Further supporting this interpretation are the multiple rather sharp, angled protrusions on the outside
margins of the longest squiggle, which appear compatible with impressions of fins (rather than vertebrate or invertebrate feet). Assuming the organism
was proceeding in the opposite direction the protrusions are pointing (indicating fins pushing backward), the trail becomes shallower and more cog-like near the end. Most
curiously, a theropod dinosaur walking on its toes (as they typically do) drops to its heels very close to where the squiggle appears to end,
suggesting the intriguing possibility that the dinosaur cobbled up the squiggle creature. This is consistent with my hypothesis that many metatarsal (heel-impressed)
dinosaur tracks are made by dinosaurs lowering their postures as they foraged or stalked small prey items in the mud and shallow water.
In 2023 I and volunteer workers
made latex rubber molds of the squiggle trail and three of the tracks of the dinosaur discussed above (two digitgrade or "toe-walking") tracks and the metatarsal
track closes to the trail end. Studing the molds may yield further clues on the nature of the squiggle maker.
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