ICYMI: Ancient Tracks in Oregon Reveal Stunning Link to Today’s Wildlife Behavior!
Birds, lizards, and big cats left behind clues in prehistoric Oregon—and they might be more familiar than expected. 🌐 #News #KimberlyOR #Oregon #Science
KIMBERLY, OR — A series of fossilized footprints uncovered at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon has stunned researchers by revealing that ancient birds, reptiles, and even saber-toothed predators once roamed the area—and behaved in ways remarkably similar to their modern-day counterparts.
Echoes of the Ancient Wild
In a groundbreaking find, paleontologists identified four distinct sets of fossil tracks dating back tens of millions of years, offering fresh insights into prehistoric life in the Pacific Northwest. The newly analyzed trace fossils, which include tracks from birds, lizards, and carnivorous mammals, were studied by a team led by fossil track expert Conner Bennett. Their results, now published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica, mark the first known bird and lizard footprints discovered at the monument.
The researchers analyzed footprints preserved in two separate rock layers. Some dated back as far as 50 million years and were found alongside beak marks and invertebrate trails. These clues point to behaviors consistent with modern shorebirds foraging in shallow waters—an astonishing example of behavioral consistency across eons.
A Reptilian Dash and a Cat’s Silent Hunt
Among the ancient trackways, scientists identified a rare footprint left by a lizard sprinting across a lakeshore approximately 50 million years ago. The impression, marked by clawed and splayed toes, is one of the few reptile trackways from this period ever documented in North America.
Another intriguing set of prints—dated to around 29 million years ago—appears to belong to a feline predator similar in size to a bobcat. Experts suspect the animal may have been a nimravid, such as the extinct saber-toothed Hoplophoneus. Notably, the prints lacked visible claw marks, hinting at retractable claws—a trait still seen in today’s cats.
Hoofbeats From a Prehistoric Herd
A final trail of three-toed, rounded hoofprints, also from around 29 million years ago, is believed to have been made by a large herbivore. Scientists speculate that the tracks may have come from a creature resembling a tapir or rhinoceros.
According to Dr. Nicholas Famoso, the monument’s lead paleontologist, these rare tracks add behavioral insight to an already extensive fossil record at the site. While body fossils show what these animals looked like, these trace fossils help reconstruct how they moved and lived—shedding light on Oregon’s ancient climate and ecology.
Fossils Resurrected From Storage
Interestingly, several of the fossils had been kept in museum archives since the 1980s. Through photogrammetry, researchers captured thousands of images to create 3D models of the footprints, breathing new scientific life into these long-dormant specimens.
The John Day Fossil Beds span nearly 14,000 acres and preserve one of the world’s richest fossil records from the Age of Mammals and Flowering Plants. Thousands of fossil specimens—along with the active research lab—are housed at the monument’s Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center, where the public can witness paleontology in action.
Did You Know?
- Saber-toothed nimravids like Hoplophoneus are not true cats but a separate family of extinct carnivores with cat-like features (Smithsonian Magazine).
- Tapirs, which resemble pigs with trunks, are among the most primitive large mammals still living today, dating back tens of millions of years (National Geographic).
- Photogrammetry is increasingly used in paleontology to create detailed 3D models of fossils, allowing scientists to analyze delicate specimens without risk of damage (Science News).
Moment for Reflection
Even in ancient footprints pressed into stone, we glimpse the patterns of life that persist through time—proof that nature’s rhythms are enduring and divine. From foraging birds to prowling cats, their instinctual behaviors speak of creation’s quiet order. In a world that often rushes forward, these preserved moments whisper of God’s hand in every era—patient, precise, and always present. Let that bring us peace: we, too, are part of something beautifully continuous.
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