Visit the new UCMP/University of Colorado online exhibit on fossil tracks! It is fascinating to consider that fossil footprints and trackways offer direct physical evidence that ancient animals passed through an area long ago. However, these trace fossils also provide important clues that shed light on several aspects of paleobiology, such as anatomy, locomotion patterns, behavior, and footprint preservation. The website provides basic information about the preservation of fossil tracks, how they are studied, and where they have been found. You can also test your fossil track expertise in the “Who made these fossil tracks?” section.
University of Colorado graduate student, Allison Vitkus is lead author on the exhibit, which was produced with funding from a National Science Foundation grant to Karen Chin and Martin Lockley. Martin Lockley spent his career at the University of Colorado Denver amassing one of the world’s most diverse collections of fossil tracks. This extensively-studied collection was held at the University of Colorado Dinosaur Tracks Museum in Denver but has now been moved to the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History in Boulder. NSF provided funds to transfer the specimens, make curatorial improvements to the collection, develop a searchable online catalog of the collection, and share information about this exciting collection with the public in this new UCMP online exhibit!