Ancient Footprints Reveal Hidden Stories at White Sands National Park

Ancient Footprints: Unveiling Hidden Stories Beneath the Surface

Footprints, etched into the earth tens of thousands of years ago, may seem lost to the ravages of time and weather. However, under specific conditions, these historical impressions reemerge, much like invisible ink revealing its secrets.

Ephemeral trackways, temporary by nature, have been identified in places like White Sands National Park in New Mexico and near Utah’s Great Salt Lake. The potential exists for many more such sites to be uncovered.

The formation of these tracks occurs when a footprint is filled with coarse sand and then covered by layers of clay or silt. As the material within the print dries at a different rate than its surroundings, weather events like rainstorms or frost can briefly render the shapes visible.

David Bustos, a resource manager at White Sands National Park, likens the discovery of these tracks to an Easter egg hunt. The partially obscured paths, left by humans and Ice Age creatures, narrate tales of the past. For instance, giant ground sloths were known to stand on their hind legs when startled, and children frequently paused to play in puddles.

Dilophosaurus is probably the best-known dinosaur whose fossil remains have been found in Arizona. That’s because the 1994 blockbuster movie “Jurassic Park” made Dilophosaurus famous—or at least an imaginative version of it.

During one visit to a familiar location within the park, Bustos was amazed to witness thousands of tracks created by both humans and animals shimmering in a hard frost. As the sun rose, these tracks disappeared.

These transient trackways offer valuable insights into historical events and hold cultural significance for present-day Indigenous communities whose ancestors once walked these paths. Unfortunately, they face the threat of permanent disappearance due to erosion driven by drought and climate change. Scientists are racing against time to capture images of these sites and employ ground-penetrating radar studies to preserve their stories.

This Earth Note originally aired on November 2, 2022. It was written by Melissa Sevigny and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.