Overview
Dinosaur tracks dating to the Coniacian age have been identified near Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. This geological period, part of the Late Cretaceous epoch, corresponds to a specific paleogeographic setting across Western North America.
Research Context
During the Coniacian age, the Western Plains of North America, extending from what is now Texas to Alaska, were submerged beneath a wide, shallow body of water referred to as a seaway. To the west of this seaway, the ancestral Rocky Mountains were present. East of the seaway, the landscape consisted of low-lying plains. These plains were intersected by large, slow-moving rivers.
Findings
The discovery consists of dinosaur tracks, which serve as direct evidence of dinosaur activity within the described Coniacian-age environment. The tracks were found in the vicinity of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
Why This Matters
The identification of these rare tracks provides specific data points for understanding the distribution and presence of dinosaurs during the Coniacian age in a particular North American paleogeographic context.