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Rock fall at Grand Canyon reveals ancient animal footprints

Grand Canyon-Fossil Footprints
Grand Canyon-Fossil Footprints
Posted at 9:45 PM, Aug 24, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-25 00:45:15-04

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A rock tumble at the Grand Canyon revealed fossil footprints that researchers say are among the oldest in the park.

Steve Rowland is a geology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and recently published his findings.

He says the creature that made the tracks is something like a modern-day chuckwalla that sidestepped sand dunes in a coastal plain more than 300 million years ago.

Not everyone is convinced the footprints were created by a single, four-legged animal, moving laterally.

Or, that the footprints are those of animals that lay hard-shell eggs.

But officials at the Grand Canyon say the research raises interesting questions.