Age: 205-200 Million Years Old (Early Jurassic)
Location: Connecticut River Valley, Massachusetts
Ichnogenus: Anomoepus
Species: Unknown Ornithischian Dinosaur Species
Slab Size: 11.2” x 6.1” x 1”
Footprint Size: 3”x 3.2”
This is a very impressive fossil dinosaur footprint made by a small, bird-like ornithischian dinosaur from the earth Jurassic! This specimen was Self-collected legally near Great Granby, Massachusetts.
This specimen is a raised impression, otherwise known as a “natural cast”. This process of fossilization occurs when a trace is made, quickly hardens, and is buried swiftly with fresh sedimentary deposits that harden within the true impression. Occasional when you split the rocks of this region, you can get both the positive and negative impressions. However in some cases, like this, only one side of the fossil impression survives.
The footprints were discovered, amongst others, by a farm boy, Pliny Moody. E.B. Hitchcock, a clergyman, described the Anomoepus footprints and others as evidence of ancient birds. They have since been identified as belonging to a dinosaur, probably an ornithischian, as indicated by the number of toes and the absence of claws on the rear digits. Trackways assigned to Anomoepus from Western Australia, Poland and Czech Republic have also been described. Anomoepus is the name of the footprint, not of the dinosaur, the identity of which remains unknown.
