PREHISTORIC TRACKS
Two-hundred-forty million years ago, a large reptile left its tracks on a mud flat, perhaps in search of food or water. The tracks were found in November of 2020 by heavy equipment operator, Spencer Phillip, during excavation for the Starpoint Fort Valley Apartments. The tracks were preserved in red sandstone from the Moenkopi Formation, which is estimated to be early to middle Triassic in age (252 to 235 million years). The Moenkopi Formation contains layers from environments that include ancient sand dunes, and rivers and deltaic settings. The tracks found at this locality are set within a sandstone with preserved mudcracks shown on left. In addition to fossilized mudcracks, the Moenkopi also contains other features created from flowing water and blowing sand, such as “ripple marks, and high-angle cross-bedding”.