Apparent dinosaur track found where scientists reach for the stars
Goddard Space Flight Center scientists trying to unlock secrets of the universe have had clues to the prehistoric past resting literally beneath their feet.
Dinosaur tracker Ray Stanford this summer discovered on the center's campus the apparent footprint of a nodosaur, a plant-eater that roamed suburban Washington, D.C., about 110 million years ago.
The track, almost 14 inches wide, is near a sidewalk at the Goddard complex in Greenbelt, Maryland, home to 7,000 employees engaged in astrophysics, heliophysics and planetary science.
"It is sheer poetry," Stanford said on Tuesday. "It is because of the juxtaposition that evokes so much interest."
Stanford late last week gave NASA officials a firsthand look at the print, which was hiding in plain sight all these years.
"It's something that if you knew what you were looking for you would have seen," said Alan Binstock, in charge of cultural and archaeological matters at the facility. "That's what's so amazing."
A paleontologist will do a survey to confirm the find, Binstock said, and will help determine what areas on the fenced campus may need further protection.
"I said this is not the only one," Stanford said. "There has to be many here."
Officials are staying mum on the footprint's exact location.
Stanford, who says he has found about 1,000 dinosaur tracks over the years, said he and a Johns Hopkins University expert are convinced it is an authentic find.
The nodosaur, which hails from the Early Cretaceous period, is named for the bony nodes found on its head, shoulders and body edges.
"They were basically an armored tank with relatively short legs," said Stanford. "They had plates reminiscent of what you would see on the crocodile."
The nodosaur, perhaps 15 feet long from snout to tail, left a print of its right rear foot in thick mud.
"You see the back of the foot, what we call a heel, is lifted up," Stanford said. "It was moving as fast as one of these guys could go. I suggest it was running."
Stanford, 74, of College Park, Maryland, moved to the area in 1986, shortly after he retired in Texas from a nonprofit research group.
In 1994, he and his children found the footprint of an Iguanodon dinosaur near the College Park airport.
"I spotted this thing and I called them over," Stanford said. "I asked 'what does it look like?' In one voice, they said, 'It looks like a dinosaur track.'"
Stanford has since worked with professionals and academics. In September 2011, he co-authored a Journal of Paleontology paper on a new nodosaur species.
Stanford often has lunch with his wife, who works at Goddard.
Several years ago, while driving there, he noticed material he thought might be indicative of the Cretaceous period.
In June, after having lunch at Goddard, Stanford returned to an area where he had found the 3-inch track of a theropod.
He came upon the nodosaur track.
Goddard's Binstock gave his own description of the discovery.
"If someone said, 'What's that?' I would have said an elephant that needs a manicure."
News of the discovery has swept the Goddard campus in recent days.
"Everybody's excited about it," Binstock said. "We're all about discovering new things."
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I'm confused. I thought Tom Cruise, or God, as you call him made the Big Bang happen on Monday, made apples and snakes on Tuesday, then covered the Earth with large bones and stamped out giant footprints on Wednesday, then on Thursday created a computer program that would serve as the human race's collective memory, deemed casual wear the policy on Friday, and finally on Saturday He brought all the pedophiles in the world to ComiCon to teach them how to lure stupid people and their children into his "way" of thinking, only to rest on Sunday to watch football and eat fiery hot chicken wings. No? Damn, I guess I'll just have to read more books, read more forums, and pay more attention when those nice young lads on their bicycles with their crisp, white shirts and short sleeves and black ties come knocking on my door, because everything that is printed word and spoken as gospel MUST be true.
and i didnt see who made the comment but whoever said "still havent seen any Jesus footprints." thats a pretty ignorant thing to say...Jesus walked the earth thousands of years ago. so yeah thats the best form of proof to look for! (sarcasm..for anyone that didnt realize.)
how can you say there is no God? where did everything in the universe come from than? it just appeared from nothing?? haha no...you really think that something came from nothing by chance? there has to be and IS a Creator, and thats God of the Bible. just thought i should state that. you cant get something from nothing without a Creator.
Ignorance is a universal human trait
Sam,
Flowers at the bottom of the garden to not require me to invent fairies to explain their existence.
Greg
So, based on your own logic, " you can't get something from nothing" so, who/what created the creator? Obviously since you can't get something from nothing, something had to create the something in order for it to create that something..sometime ago.
I just have one question, in two parts actually...If this print is from a dinosaur from 110,000,000 years ago, why is the print on the surface where we now travel, and where is the animal presently?
In answer to your first question, older rocks can be pushed up toward the surface by uplift (the same way many mountains form) and/or exposed at the surface through erosion (the way river valleys are formed). If this didn't happen, there would never be any rocks visible on the surface.
As for the second question, there's really no way to know for sure, but it's a pretty safe bet that the animal died and completely decomposed long ago. Very few animals are buried and fossilized before they decompose – that's why fossils are very rare relative to the number of animals that once existed. There are fossils of this species, but not the same individual that made the tracks.
Rufus, where are the tectonic plates that would have pushed this print up? Last I checked, all mountains are formed (at least in theory) by the pressure of tectonic plates pushing against one another. But there are none in eastern virginia....
Let's not forget that plate upheaval is the only mechanism that might have allowed this to be found. In this area of the country erosion plays a big role. Layers of sediment being washed away until the strata with the foot print easily explains it. If you go approx 40 miles to the east on the bay erosion continually uncovers fossils from when that was a shallow sea. My son and I have found numerous fossilized shark's teeth, crocodile plates(schutes) and shells.
That's fine and dandy but the fact is layers of rock that would contain a fossil of that type whould be much lower in than erosion in that area accounts for. Unless the surface of that area has eroded 50+ feet or so since then it is not possible. So either the Earth is not as old as they say or it's a hoax. The very science used to make these assumtions destroys itself.
"But there are none in eastern virginia...."
Sure there are....do some research please.
Bryan, you are making this up as you go along. Sorry kid, you're busted. That part of Virginia is very close to a mountain range that used to be the tallest in the world. Not it is really mostly hills. And you are pretending that there isn't enough erosion there? LOL!
Also, may I point out that there have been numerous accounts of human remains and "fossils" being found in solid stone that are "dated" to be be 110-160 million years old, the same time dinosaurs where suposed to "rule" the world. Explain that as well. Plates shifting? Yeah, give God that answer when you see him will ya? Your God loves you by the way.
please provide your sources......until then, your statement is nothing but rampant speculation.
Bryan.... are you trying to support a religious based argument that fossils do not exist, or, do not support evolution? If so, I would suggest that you make your arguments based on Church-based SCIENCE (yes, the Church believes in science and acknowledges it's validity... ie: the Shroud of Turin carbon dating.... even the Pope recognizes that). I would suggest that you review genetic research started by a Catholic Monk by the name of Mendel; you would be surprised at how much science has altered the Holy See ....
Louis,
Thats exactly what I was wondering,n Apparently this guy just finds them lying around. hahaha
Nah, it's just Mikulski.
One question why there's only one footprint?
because it was a one legged, one eyed gient purple people eater...........lol
THINK A LITTLE, there is NO WAY that these foot prints of dinosaurs found were MILLIONS of YEARS OLD. There are dinosaur foot prints found all over this Earth ... you'd think that in time (like 300 to 1000 years) they would be covered up and buried from rains and overgrowth of vegetation, etc. I AM REALLY LOL
If these foot prints of dinosaurs are still found on the TOP SOIL GROUND (on the campus of a university,) then by simple reasoning, you can conclude that there were a few DINOSAURS roaming around NOT TOO LONG AGO (period)
I am sorry, but I am giving this "Professor" the horse HORSE LAUGH when he says that dinosaurs were extinct millions of years ago.
For heavens sakes, think a little, before you believe a lot of nonsense that they teach these kids these days.
You have little to no knowledge about geology, judging by your statements. Factors such as uplift, erosion and tectonic action can easily account for older rock layers to be exposed at the surface. I think the Grand canyon is a great example of this. Unrelated to your worldview, the canyon shows thousands-millions years of rocklayers exposed to the surface in which fossils can be found.
The fossils being buried by soil/vegetation/.. is almost a prerequisite to fossilization (though exceptions occur), only to be shown again after long periods of time by various processes such as described above. Please educate yourself before making comments.....
Ugh. We need some sanity here. I support both sides. Creationism has some good points, but I am a scientist and a strong believer in "the Bible" from a religious, not a scientific standpoint. Evolution may be incorrect in its present formulation (ID has some very good points, but it is also incorrect in its present formulation), but you can't argue with Radioactive isotope dating (its more than just C-14 and "radiocarbon" you know). I have reviewed every creationist argument and the Earth is NOT 6000 years old. The "flood" did in fact (in fact many floods) have occurred, and some were pretty great (there is much scientific support for this)... but the evidence creationists give as lots of dinosaurs existing 6000 years ago seems very weak. Also there is no scientific support for a worldwide flood as reported in the Bible. It is likely a localized flood that covered the "world" of the writers. Given logical reasoning, the Bible was written by Moses, and what happened to Noah happened many generations before Moses. Is it not certain that Moses has some inaccurate oral information when reporting what happened with Noah? On the other hand, the portions of the Bible from Moses onward are likely to have less inaccuracies. Admit it the Bible was written by people, it contains some inaccuracies! Read the Bible, PLEASE. But science is always growing and the creationists are actually putting forth some good arguments that scientists are incorporating into present geologic, paleontological and evolutionary theories. The creationists are pretty smart dudes, but some of the conclusions you see creationists say seem more than a little off. As for these footprints, read some of the other comments from experienced archaeologists, it is very likely they are not less than 6000 years old. Now everyone shoot me for stating an opinion that is balanced and supports both the scientific extremists and the creationist extremists partially.
PS – archaeologists do not and never have studied dinosaurs.
As a scientist, what "good points" from creationism can possibly be applied to evolution? I can't think of one at all. They are two highly opposed thoughts.
"but I am a scientist and a strong believer in "the Bible" from a religious"
so you believe in a book written and edited by men as the word of god? Why I can't put much faith in science.
The taxon Dinosauria was formally named in 1842 by paleontologist Sir Richard Owen:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur
Before that they were refered to as "DRAGONS"
Dinosaurs and the Bible:http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/dinos.shtml
cocopuf's post is so absurd that surely it is a parody. Seriously.
Paul, I do appreciate your tone and your attempt at coming down somewhere in the middle; however, contrary to popular as sumptions, the truth does not necessarily lie somewhere in between two extremes. For example, if people on one extreme argue that the night sky is a giant curtain with holes poked in it, and on the other extreme people argue that it is a view into space made possible by the absence of direct sunlight, the truth doesn't lie in the middle. The former is not remotely true, and the latter is pretty dead on.
I suggest the same is true of creationism. Creationism, no matter how carefully reworded or diluted (ID), always comes back around to magic as an explanation for why things are the way they are. Not only is magic right out in the world of scientific explanation, it has also never – not ever, not even once – been found to be the reason for anything in the entire history of human investigations. Throughout history, magic (such as creationism) has only served as a temporary placeholder that marks what we do not yet understand.
The more we understand the Quantum Field the closer science and religion become. The physics of miracles happens on the Quantum level. The "magic" is in the Quantum. Newtonian Science will soon be a belief of the past. Understanding miracles or Magic will soon be accepted as quantum physics.
Right on, Rufus T. Firefly.
eyeswideopen, it might be worth noting that no matter how he presents himself, Deepak Chopra is not a quantum physicist.
Amazing. We can only hope YOUR species (people who will believe a heavily edited book written by primitive humans before they will believe science backed up by solid facts and proven techniques) will soon be extinct. Get a life.
I thought scientist were going to say curiosity found Dinosaur track on Mars.
the same thing...although I guess Wash DC is the next best thing.
Look inside your heart and you will know that gravity is real and not just a theory.
Not only is gravity real, but dinosaurs were roaming around after Noah's flood on Earth about 4,400 years ago. Even the Russians have found a few dinosaurs with remnants of their flesh and muscles still intact on the large bones. Ridiculous statements are often made about dinosaurs being extinct millions of years ago. It's like monkey see, monkey does, and keeps repeating it. lol
To bad the flood is fake and mythological. The flood is just old mans way of scaring others into submission if they act out of hand. This is found in all ancient mans records at different times. EVEN BEFORE NOAH it was written on the code of Hamubari that if people didnt act right there will be a flood and he will take animals on his flying house to repopulate. Get it got it good! numbskull
Sorry wrong, most archaeologists, if not all by this point, agree that the Biblical flood, and that of Gilgamesh for that matter, did happen and they did destroy the entire known world (the world known to the writers). It was not a global flood. It was, from my understanding, several epic floods that even by todays standards would be catastrophic. The floods did happen, there is mounds of geological evidence to support this claim. However there was not a boat with all the animals paired up nice and evenly, the floods were probably caused by geological activity and were able to wipe out much of the settled areas of ancient Mesopotamia and Sumeria (it sucks to have beach front property). Archaeologists have found areas near the Persian Gulf that show clear evidence of large scale flooding that covered several hundreds of miles, more than enough to take out a 'known' world.
di you mean dinosaurs were living with Sea Monkeys?
WOW so many people speaking negatives about creation. For unbelievers ask for yourselves the following question ,do you really think we are living on this amazing planet by chance ? No it all has to do with order and precision, and only a supreme creator had it all in place, for for benefit of the human race.The next time you Non believers wake up take a view of nature wherever you may live in this planet, and fill your lungs with oxygen, to maintain life, and ask yourself was this by coincidence? The answer will be NO.
I am not disputing the existence of prehistoric life millions of years ago there is plenty of scientific proof to support that, yet we will never be able to question our creators thoughts.Gods thoughts are to grand and we are just human, and yes we were created by the almighty God for a purpose and these answers are in the Holy Bible. To all involved in this discussion humble yourselves, reason and focus on true knowledge.
The main from I have with the Supreme Being idea is that I look around at the human race and I have to ask,"You have all the power in the universe to create anything you want, and seriously, this is the best you could do?"
All of this over a footprint? Can you imagine the upheaval when Disclosure happens? And it will. The "religious God" will not be so one dimensional, heh?
You have no proof.
" we were created by the almighty God for a purpose and these answers are in the Holy Bible" That's ridiculous. What does it say about computers? What about airplanes? Can I watch a movie or will I be damned for observing a graven image? And yes, I do feel that our little blue world is at the end of a long string of coincidences, and the fact that I can breathe the air and eat the food is kinda like the point of that. Why do you jesus-crazies hate us so much? It's the one thing your jesus asked you to do, love people, and you go straight to hate like flies to a dump.
"The next time you Non believers wake up take a view of nature wherever you may live in this planet, and fill your lungs with oxygen, to maintain life, and ask yourself was this by coincidence? The answer will be NO."
You're wrong in every sense of the word.
I have asked myself that question many, many, many times, and the answer is always the same:
Just because I cannot demonstrate how the universe formed, does not mean it was created by a magic being from a fairy tale. It simply means "I don't know."
It DOES mean, however, that I cannot prove it was created by Ramuh, or extradimensional beings, or Ahura Mazda. And if you think the lack of knowledge is enough to draw a direct line to causation by a supernatural being, then you cannot prove to me that your god is NOT a lying trickster demon that is trying to steal the credit from a flying purple magic talking cactus named, Gus. Because, hey, I have a piece of paper that says your god is a lying pr!c|<, and if written words on a piece of paper is enough for you, then mine is just as valid.
Everything that has happened in this universe since the initial Plank Second (1 x 10 -43 second) has followed Quantum Mechanics and Newtonian Physics. EVERYTHING. It all can be explained mathmatically and not by mysticism and magic.
Every atom of oxygen I breath and every atom of carbon in my body was created in the belly of a star and not by the Invisible Man that wants all of my money. You say that proof exists that dinosaurs have roamed with humans. Do you even know what a Velociraptor or Tyrranasaurus Rex looks like? Do you HONESTLY think that mankind, regardless of how far back in taime, could really exist with the likes of the above? Nay, I say. You, Sir, are a P'taK ...
Oxygen is toxic (people don't die of 'old age' but oxygen poisoning), plagues, well, plague us, our world is geologically unstable, the universe is a giant void with a few black holes and nuclear explosions mixed in, etc. Not only is the universe not 'designed for us', it's a wonder how we're still around with all the things that are trying to kill us and all other life in the universe.
Can we all stop arguing about the existence of God? This article is a scientific article, not a religion article.
If you want to argue what type of dinosaur left the footprints mentioned here, fine...but if you just want to troll around the internet looking for people to disagree with...grow up. Science is the for mature minds, not yours.
Thank you.
It seems to me rational people are perfectly content to admire nature and the discoveries of science in peaceful awe of the universe...
And then the nutjobs come in and try to claim it as magic.
I'll be happy to stop arguing God as soon as mor0ns stop trying to claim everythign is the result of their supernatural fairy tale hippy.
Still no sign of any Jesus footprints....just sayin...
I would suggest Youtube, " The Origins of Life" by Sir David Attenborough to any interested in further information.
Of course, there is a reason the cultists think the world is 6 thousand years old – THAT IS WHEN RECORDED HISTORY BEGAN.
The discovery of cave paintings and fossil records came much later, and so the church had to do some fast talking to convince people that it was all part of "God's plan"
Always remember this:
It's NOT "God's" will.
It's YOURS.
Well, not really. The 6000 year figure derives from Bishop Ussher around 1650, who constructed a chronology based on the Bible's reported events and lifespans. It should be noted that, at the time, a 6000 year old earth was deemed incredibly ancient, and Ussher was no slouch when it came to research, accuracy and support. He just didn't have the tools needed to come to a different conclusion, although he did make use of what tools he did possess extremely well and thoroughly. I can't fault him at all for his work.
I can easily fault those who ignore the 500 years of advancement that has occurred since his writings, however.
Six Degrees of Correctness
To all of the cultists out there who say that we are "God Haters" I say:
I need to have a relationship with someone before I can hate them. Since there is no god, I cannot have a real, PHYSICAL (meaning in my presence, not s3xual) with it and therefore cannot hate it.
God did not create man in his own image, it was the other way around.
And yes, ALL religions are cults.
I find it really sad and depressing to have a bunch of people with zero education tell us on one hand that it looks like a tree trunk or something, and also that they know it's not real because a book of fairy tales says so. Sorry folks, it's real. It was real when our ancestors climbed down out of the trees, picked up sharp sticks, and said "here, kitty" to the lions for the first time. It was real when Moses saw a burning bush, if he wasn't on drugs, and real when Yeshua bin Yusuf was nailed to a cross. IF God made everything, He made this, too. Get over it and stop pretending the world isn't real.
@Farscape Primewonk... keep it up gents you have restored my faith in mankind
At least your faith is based on reality, misplaced or not.
I knew my comments about the God haters would upset them and spew out more hatred. they are like a volcano ready to blow. come on let it blow ur only hurting urselves not the real Christians or God. We are blessed when we are descriminated on and hated and blasphemed because of our believe in Him. Unbilevers will always curse and blaspheme God that has been always the case. Hell is filled with them and its always ready for more. There is no three ways about it if u hate God and all He stands for u are on the side of evil and satan and if u don't repeent eventually u will live with him, he is desperately waiting for u and har a special place waiting for u. if u love God and turn ur life over to Him . God and Jesus His Son has already prepared a place of eternal life with Him, a place of no more tears and pain, a place where nothing is impossible and all ur needs are fullfield. Heaven or hell, ummm, no other choice. Its ur choice. And also no matter what science says and does. It cannot say how old the world or the universe is. they can make every kind of conjesture but only God knows. If dinosaur bones have been found in different places of this world then they did exist because who would go around burrying those bones inside rocks on sides of mountains and such. about the footprint found, who knows?? Sometimes, like the God haters and the unbelievers, the evience is in front of their noses but they cant seet it because their noses are up in the air with indignation and hatred of things they don't understand or don't want to understand.
no one hates your mythological beings or your imaginary places. you can spread your hate and threaten imaginary damnation all you like.
your is just another of the innumerable deities and religions invented by man.
I don't believe in Santa Claus. So according to your logic, I hate Santa Claus.
Judy, it's bad enough that you have chosen to be ignoraant about science. It's even worse that you have decided to come onto science threads and spew your inane religious nuttery.
But what really frosts my butt, is that you are thumbing your nose at your god.
Did not the Apostle Paul command that women be silent and not lecture men, especially in matters of faith?? Yet here you are, telling MEN what they should be doing in the eyes of god. Does your husband know you are doing this? Did you sit at his feet, as your god commands and listen to hiim? If he told you to do this, he is no better than a woman himself.
Now, be a good girl and go make us men a sammich!
@Primewonk. Genius, sheer genius! Brilliant move to throw her own scriptures back at her to counter her pedantic ramblings. Many religious folks are very selective in which "words of god" they choose to adhere to. Since you two have struck up such a close relationship please tell her I'd like a roast beef sammich with horseradish/mayo and I want that on a VERY fresh jalapeno & cheddar cheese baguette. It must be cut diagonally. She also needs to know that I MUST have Romaine lettuce and NOT iceberg. Maybe I should actually read the fictional stories in the Bible, I really like the subservient position women are supposed to assume. This opens up a myriad of possibilities...
Love and favourite this quote!
What does belief in God, Jesus or religion – or the lack thereof – have to do with finding a dinosaur track?
Where you been?
Belief in God has nothing to do with the discovery of this dinosaur track; at least it shouldn't. Me, I think this is so cool that this footprint was found next to the Goddard Space Flight Center. I am 56 and fell in love with dinosaurs so much when I was four years old I asked for dinosaurs for Christmas instead of dolls; this flummoxed my parents greatly, but, to their credit, they gave me my beloved dinosaurs.
So many anti-evolutoinists say there are no "missing Links"-well, let me list a few for you.First, Archaeopteryx-a perfect blend of reptile and bird. In these last few years, given the discoveries of feathered dinosaurs, I am content knowing the dinosaurs never really died out, after all. Second-Australopithecines.Whether gracile or robust, they had bipedal bodies with a pretty much ape head. Third-Walking Whales, such as Rodlhocetus, who, while being whales, still had hind legs. The ankle bones of these legs correspond to those of the Artiodactyla (even toed hoofed mammals such as cows, sheep, hippos, etc) from which they sprang. (Prothero, 2007) Fourth-Tiktaallik, a fossil from the Canadian Artic, was pretty much a fish whose limbs were transitional between "fins and feet". (Prothero, 2007).Fifth-Horses. The fossil record of equine evolution can be found in any decent biology textbook (I would hope)..
I cou;d go on, but I won't. I am just tired of science articless being taken over as a battle ground between fundamentalist religious and their opposites.
"their noses are up in the air with indignation and hatred " What was that about spewing hatred, lady? You don't know me, and you have no right to try framing me with your lies. I have good reasons for hating at least one person, but I try my best not to. Hatred is a poison, and I don't want to let it turn me into some wretched termagant like it has you. Calling atheists "god-haters" is a lie. Claiming you know their hearts is a lie. You IMAGINE that people who don't believe your silly stuff must be angry, or criminal, or defective, and that says more about you than it does about those people. Come on, you are 'bearing false witness;' if there's really a god, you'll be called to account for this sin.
Judy, your arguments would be more persuasive if you learned how to use spell check. Actually, never mind, after deciphering them, they wouldn't be persuasive anyway.
You seriously need to learn how to spell.
I am confused how a print made in mud could survive this long considering that this area was under huge geological process ov er the 110 million years since then. Visit this site to see wath these changes were... http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/geol100/lectures/25.html
Oh and jsut to be clear, I do believe in Dino's and do beleive in finding tracks, just this one seems a bit to imporbable for me givin the location. But heym, maybe others have been found in the area, if that is the case, then great find.
Please learn to spell.
hence illustrating the rarity of such a find.
@Eldon. The tracks were likely preserved when new mud flowed into the relatively hardened footprint and then was covered further with windblown dust, soil and perhaps more mud. As time wore on these tracks once again emerged through the process of erosion. It's very cool that the print is on the Goddard facility's grounds and I'm really glad it survived so many years of construction and landscaping!
I live in Denver and just a few miles to the west of the city are a number of dinosaur tracks (sorry but I've forgotten which species) in the Morrison Formation. They are behind a fence for protection but you can drive right up to the site and it's free.
The name of the place is Dinosaur Ridge. I, myself, have been there and believe the footprints are Iguanodon footprints.
Look up "petrified forest." Explain to us how it happened overnight, or how it isn't trees, or how the devil made it to fool us. Or just remain ignorant, don't care which.
I feel sorry for those that are using this article to spew their hatred for God and His Son Jesus. They only do that because they know that God does exist and they are trying to make themselves and others believe He doesnt so that they can go on living their sinful lives without fear of consequences. No matter what the topic, they will always show their hatred and descrimination of anything that has to do with God. They are the ones that say they don't believe even when the evidence is right in front of their eyes. They deny the existance of God in these blogs and where others can hear them, but when they find themselves alone with their thoughts their concience cryes out to them and when sick with pain or at death's door, whom do they call on??? They make fun of the Bible because it is God's Word and if they rea it they see themselves revealed for who thy really are. The truth hurts. Look at ths world and disprove the prophecies that are writen in the Bible. I pray that their hearts and minds and ears and eyes be opened before it's too late.
why the fallacious "hate" BS about your god. disbelief is not hate. it is simply disbelief.
your god just falls in the same catagory as zeus, thor and oden.
Greg Oden?
might as well be.
Not entirely. They are polytheistic, as opposed to the Abrahamic faith's monotheism.
What about the Aten, also monotheistic god from Egypt.
Isn't Christianity Polythesism in disguise? The father, son and holy ghost... I count 3
This is a science story. Specifically, it is a science story about evolution. Even more specifically it is a story about a dinosaur fossil that is tens of millions of years old.
This story – on a science site – does not talk about your god. It does not talk about any other version of a god or gods. In fact, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with any of the tens of thousands of gods we have invented.
But yet, like all stories on science threads that deal with the science of evolution, or cosmology, or abiogenesis, we see religious nutters, such as yourself, who come on board and post inane religious drivel. Your coming here and doing this is the equivalent of us barging into your church on Sunday morning and demanding that you think.
you are no better.
Apparently Franco supports religious nuters spewing inane religious crap on science threads.
It's bad to choose to be ignorant. But it's even worse to wear that ignorance as a badge of honor.
For the Christians, If you talk about/to others in anything less than a loving way than you have missed one of the major point of religion and Jesus. How do you reconcile yourself? Despite what you think believing in Jesus is not some hall pass that gives you freedom to act however you want towards others whose beliefs are different. Be above the pettiness. Spirituality and Science can Coexist.
I am pretty sure that Jesus himself said he would be back by now. So was he wrong, or was the whole thing made up?
Just give it time
Seriously though, if he can't even predict when he himself will come back within 1000 year window why should I believe the rest of it?
"Just give it time"
Congrats, you are one of MILLIONS that have said this over the course of history. Still doesn't make it true.
Why would GOD give you a date when he is coming. So you can change your ways. FOOL Think not. You who are weak minded.
Those who dont believe in a higher power is simply weak minded and have open mind. Lets say everything we can about how bad religion is when we dont get our way. Like a child try holding your breath maybe then you will get your way. Use your mind think about it.
seriously though, how could that be preserved all these years in public area?
pure random chance.
Fossilization has turned it into a rock. And rocks are found everywhere in public areas, even rocks that are millions of years old. Why would this rock be any different? It just happens to have a footprint on it.
Seriously, it's a rock. Take a good look around and you will see rocks everywhere. They last a long time. There were probably more of these tracks before they put a sidewalk in.
Obviously. Duh.
There are 2,000,000,000 (2 billion) Christians on earth – all of earth, not just the US. Of that number, 1,800,000,000 (1.8 billion – or 90%) of these Christians belong to sects whose position is that there is no problem with a belief in the Christian version of a god, and an understanding that evolution is a fact. It is only amongst the fundamentalists – who insist on a literal interpretation of Genesis, that we see this problem. And sadly, the vast majority of these fundamentalists live in the US.
without a literal interpretation of genesis there is no "original sin". without original sin, there is no reason for a messianic savior to die symbolically on a cross to absolve the world of sin (not that that ever made sense anyway).
hence the house of cards called christianity falls for a lack of any real basis.
Have to say that is brilliant – not heard it before and I thought I'd heard it all.
Also, why hasn't all the prayers been answered? Why are people praying still? Why are we still living in sin or committing sin on a daily basis? Our friends Snowboarder and Asr hit the nail on the coffin with their posts. I will also add that "man" or Human(s) are in a phase in their beliefs, from polytheism to monotheistic. Just a few centuries ago apprx 1547 man named Copernicus displaced the earth from the center of the universe. Then the bible was changed. Sometime later a man named Galileo was banished to his room(house arrested) by the Vatican for proving and supporting heliocentrism. Now we know better, he wasn't a heretic. Science will continue to prove people wrong, and the world will then start having faith in themselves and their fellow "MAN".
Snowboarder you are thinking to hard, I used to use my mind in a elusive manner as well. Why why why? Why me? Please, stop analysing to much you are only stressing yourself out.
" you are thinking to hard, I used to use my mind in a elusive manner as well" Beerguy, your mind seems to have completely eluded you. Who exactly is weak-minded here?
Agree with Sweeny. Why is it the most brilliant statements are only a sentence long.
Looks like Batman left an impression
i remember being fascinated with dinosaurs as a child in parochial school. i collected all the books, models and action figures i could get my hands on.
it is truly awesome to find such rare things practically in our backyard.
Jesus never existed.
your wrong....he does my yards....
That's strange. He also does my yard!
I wonder if the evangelicals had saddles made for this specific dinousaur breed so they could ride it around like a horse?
Lies. God put dinosuar tracks and bones on this planet just to test our failth. They are not real, god just put them there and if you don't believe me, then where do they mention dinosuars in the bible? If it is not mentioned in the bible then it is a lie. We need to inform the public schools or REAL science and not this hogwash, vote in Todd Akin and he will change things. -Average Missouri Citizen
"If it's not mentioned in the bible then it's a lie". Viruses? Bacteria? Antibiotics? iphones? computers? All lies.
Yes.
Yes, I have to common brain disease known as evangelical christianism
everything that exists has been in existence since existence began.....
Trying to define and keep God in a tidy little box is like trying to hold sand. God IS the ulitmate scientist. The earth has been destroyed many times and universe is in constant change. The creation story you hold so dear is a synopsis of a much greater picture. Each day in the creation story refers to evening and morning of the first day, etc. What determines evening and morning? The Sun does. Yet the sun wasn't created until the 4th day. The story was told in this fashion to give man some understanding and how to live. This is the story for modern man. According to the story, the Biblical flood happened 1,000 years after creation. Noah built an Ark. Once again, the earth was scrapped.
So what are the artifacts found all over the world of a more primitive existence?
Lies.
Of course, right there is the answer! The bible is a lie, it's so very obvious, thank you for pointing that out!
Macaroni and cheese isn't in the bible either, but I am certain I had it for lunch.
Why do you hate macaroni and cheese?
I don't believe in macaroni, but I do believe in cheese. Ramen.
Well played. Sadly, too many will take you seriously.
" If it is not mentioned in the bible then it is a lie. " And Jesus said, "Verily, if thou eatest of the Irish potato thou shalt burn in a pit of boiling canola oil forever, along with your potatoes, sliced thin and salted. Hmm, not bad."
There was something about tomatoes being the devil's apple, too, and then all that stuff about how sulfur and petroleum were the devil's **** and ****. I guess you are all doomed.
In the Bible They refered to as "DRAGONS"
Dinosaurs and the Bible:http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/dinos.shtml
i love how everyone is allowed to speak their opinion unless they are a Christian. then you people spew all kinds of filth and hate.
What's your christain opinion on dinosaurs Beezy?
Really, what empricial evidence do you have to support that premise?
Kenneth, I'm not trying to generalize here but have you ever heard of the creation museum?
True fax.....Help me understand are you trying to balance a chemical equation I have a degree in chemistry doesnt appear to be one im familiar with. Oh maybe a trigonometric proof. I guess im not too smart cause I just dont understand your formula.......
No jimbo havent heard of that.....sorry
never heard of the creation museum? it is a real hoot. they have exhibits of people riding dinosaurs.
true fax.....HAHAHA...I get it. What youare doing is using a proof to try to prove that I was stupid...hahaha...I get it now.....You even used Q.E.D. to demonstrate the proof was complete.....but I will have to mark you down points on this one sorry, but you didnt follow instructions. I asked for empirical data. So what numbers do you have to substantiate your postulate. Did you have test subjects? How many subjects did you test? Did you use all demographics? Did you use all socioeconomics? Did you repeat the experimnet and receive the same data. Please by all means report your findings, but please do so in a scientific manner......
I think I saw that on TV. I think I saw Fred and Barney too
Evolution (including dinosaur fossils that are tens and hundreds of millions years old) is a fact, not an opinion. The theory of evolution is the explanation of how evolution works.
On the other hand, there are fundamentalist Christians who purposefully choose to be ignorant about science. This is also a fact, and not opinion.
When you say "filth and hate," are you by any chance referring to us saying we don't believe in your religion anymore than you do in Islam? When I was a kid in the Sixties, the churches closed every store on Sunday. except groceries and restaurants. One of my friends was arrested for selling a Beatles album to an undercover cop on Sunday. When you Christians were in charge of Europe, it was called the Dark Ages. Quit making laws about what I can do or not do based on your fairytale, and I'll ignore you. Deal? Yeah, I didn't think so.
So knowing that this article is on scientific study Christians choose to come on here and make comments that most dont agree too. . Would the same thing happen if scientists went on a religious site and made the opinion that there is no god?? Why come onto a site that doesnt agree with your beliefs?? To stir the pot?? Do you think that non-believers will be saved from a post you made on a scientific site? If they want to be saved they will find a way and will engage in a more positive approach than someone who comes on here preaching. IF you want to save someone there are more positive approaches than using threats, and that is not making comments on here that everyone is a "hater". Im sure God would rather see your time used in a more positive manner if you turned your energies somewhere else.
110 million years ago? If that is accurate, then erosion would have occurred thereby removing evidence of the alleged dinosaur footprint.
how do you figure? erosion elsewhere could deposit sediment over this location and therefore preserve it for innumerable years.
I honestly have discover two different Dinosaur tracks in my life time. First was embedded in rock at a Boy Scout Camp in Illinois when I was 12 years old, I was taking a pee at the time and saw the print below, told my troup they told scientists and they removed the rock for further study. The second time was in Georgia on a fishing trip with a friend when I was about 32 years old. We floated a river and stopped on a curve where the water was deep and I was casting from the top of a rock bank and suddenly noticed in the rock a track just like previously. My friend discovered the second track as being a lip in the rock we climbed up to get to the top of rock bank. The second was private land and probably would not allow them to remove it. Yes lightning does sometimes strike twice. Oh and I believe and worship GOD of the Bible.
Which god the old testament where he had whole populations killed off or the new testament where hes loving and good...???
" I believe and worship GOD of the Bible." In the past, when something like this was discovered they gave thanks that they had found a new facet of the gem of God's creation. These days, they shout "Quick, cover it up before people see it."
Cool.
110 million years???? RIDICULOUS!!!! The Holy Bible speaks of dinosaurs and also that they were here at the SAME time as man and was seen of men.
Common sense is not common, as you help demonstrate by your lack thereof.
There are no dinosaurs in the bible. There are however unicorns and satyrs. Along with talking snakes and donkeys.
what about leviathan Job 41 and Isaiah 27:1
How does one explain middle age man's preoccupation with "dragons"
how does one explain the middle age preoccupation with mermaids, unicorns, sea monsters, yetti and innumerable other mythological creatues? are you actually suggesting those things existed?
how do we explain the leviathans ability to breath fire?
Sarcasm
"Middle-Aged Man?"
You know, how does one explain their preoccupation with red corvettes, younger women, and sports? The only dragon a middle aged man knows about is his wife. Why do we keep getting these sorts of posts from states that have supposedly long since banned cousin marriages?
on these forums your sarcasm is impossible to differentiate from others actual opinions.
Also mentioned as Tanin.....
"How does one explain middle age man's preoccupation with "dragons"" Now you are talking about World of Warcraft, which is submersion in a different kind of fantasy experience. Middle-aged guys pretending to be buff youths interacting with other men playing chicks in chainmail.
dinosaurs = DRAGGONS in th Bible
I like turtles...
And @Farscape... way to hang in there! Combating ignorance is a tough job. Two books were written immediately after Elvis's death by two of his closest friends, both had a different recipe for Elvis's famous fried chicken. But a book written 2,000 years ago and edited thousands of times by man, has to be 100% true!
Raptor Jesus went extinct for your sins.
hahahah, you are so funny....you must make your mom proud....
My favorite part is how my work firewall blocks the picture...
I wonder if we work for the same compay...I hope you're not my boss....
I can see the pic but "playing" it is blocked
If this is proven/confirmed by follow=up investigation – – very cool.
And there are STILL dinosaurs roaming DC today!
I see what you did there.
That's pretty interesting. My question is, why does God come up all the time on these forums? I don't object to the subject, but people really have a weird ax to grind on the God thing all the time. Science is Science.
In my experience it normally starts in one of two ways. Ether a theist makes a comment about how this is fake/wrong and how we will all have to answer for our blasphemous insistence on learning about the Universe around us. Or… a snarky/insulting joke by a non-believers making fun of the inevitable comments to come like the first example I mentioned.
it all start with the trolls. it makes the comments section better than 85% of the articles.
There are no trolls- they aren't in the Bible...
Ever wonder why God and Science have to be mutually excusive? Why not they be complimentary of each other. I think in the Bible or any other religious texts the concept of talking snake is purely metaphorical to enable common man 2000 years ago to be able to digest the concept of God. Our ancestors have dumbed down the concept of God so that they can wrap their mind around it. Some how we have not upgraded our religious texts to match our times. The basic tenets remain the same but we no longer need the metaphors of talking snakes or any other simplistic explanations to understand the teachings. Some one once told me that "one should be born in a religion but should not die in it".
They are contradictory in nature. Both presume to explain existence. One is based on fact, proven or otherwise. The other is based on faith. The very modern trend of trying to couple the two is simply a desperate move by theist to maintain their mythology as long as possible.
Actually – an updated article found that they found hairs near the site. It was actually the gut with the 100 pound test tickles. After questioning, he admitted that he visited the area, and needed a spot to sit down.
Srop worrying! the Grant money is in the mail.
It looks more like a Bigfoot footprint to me.
I'm flabbergasted that we are still having the debate about whether dinosaurs existed. Just floored. For those of you going for the biblical interperetation, consider this: The bible was written hundreds of years ago by a bunch of men who also thought the earth was flat, the earth was the center of the universe, and that women were property.
Of course dinosaurs existed. They have copies of them at that bible resort in Kentucky, don't they?
Why is it always one footprint they find. The dino must have been hopping along on one foot. I know, it was just a small mud puddle for one foot.The other 3 feet while it was running, as stated, left no imprint and know other tracks anywhere to be found ....... hmmmmmm.
Hmmmmm?
Im guessing you are a bit ignorant on the long and elaborate process that it takes in order to preserve a footprint for millions of years.
It isn’t always one print to start with. Also fossilization is a rare process and even more so for a footprint.
They very often find full tracks. Try going to a museum once in awhile.
Dinosaur Ridge west of Denver, CO has several footprints where you can follow the motion of the dinosaur. Like someone above said, try going out and learning something once in a while.
fossilization is an incredibly rare occurrence, not to mention the millions of years of subsequent erosion and sediment obscuring, destroying or permanently hiding fossil evidence.
of the billions or trillions of animals that have lived over the eons we find only hudreds of thousands of fossils.
Sorry, but you're the only one bringing it up. Bible talks about dinosaurs btw so you're out of luck. Seek help.
Afraid not. The subject has been discussed in the comments for while not. Use time stamps. The subject of dinosaurs in the bible have also been addressed.
Your proof of dinosaurs being mentioned in the Bible? I've read that book, cover to cover, on multiple occasions and I remember NOT ONE reference to a dinosaur. And be forewarned: a Dragon is not a Dinosaur wanna be. Now, a Mandrake is a distinct possibility ... I saw one once, betwixt the Land of Dreams and Wakefulness ... does that count?
My name says it all, there are no more words needed.
A fellow Pastafarian!
Are we sure this is not one of those "Virgin Mary" they find in quesadillas in Mexico????
No, that’s why they are bringing in experts to examine it. Did you read the article?
They also bring in so-called experts when the virgin mary appears in a burned piece of toast
@ WHatTheF?
Scientific experts.. not religious ‘experts’ genius. Also.. if you actually follow those stories the ‘church’ almost always rules it NOT a miracle.
I was watching "Barney" with my daughter when he made those prints.
that's so wierd. dinosaur prints with no dinosaurs in them. it's like they're here, but they're not.
This is the funny irony of religious types. They refused to believe what is literally right in front of them, but have no trouble believing there is an invisible man in the sky responsible for all creation.
Sorry, troll. Most of us have no problem with this.
Name calling isn’t helping your case. There is also no way for you to know what ‘most’ of you are thinking about it. However you can see a trend based soley on the comments posted in this article. Thanks for proving my point.
farscape, your science is a belief system. have a nice day.
@loll – science most definitely is not a belief system. It is methodology based on facts, evidence, observations, etc. This is something you should have learned in Junior High.
science isn't a belief, it's proven and repeatable. Something that cannot be said for certain theistic beliefs...
@ lolol
You need a dictionary sir, have a nice day.
evidence equals not proof.
doug : do you have real footage, pics and video from the dinosaur era? I would consider that proof. you can't observe and repeat jack squat. all assumptions based on more assumptions. lol. please repeat the big bang. I'd love to see that.
keep lying to yourselves people. you amuse me.
@lolol
evidence equals not proof.
Another one proving my point. Thank you lolol. Your definition of proof is rather weak. I can show you ‘real footage, pics and video of Big Foot and alien UFOs. Dig that whole a little deeper lol.
There are very few things that you can "prove". For example, you can't prove that your memory works.
@lolol – Perhaps before you denigrate science, it would behoove you to understand what it is you denigrate?
lolol – Your idea of "proof" is videographic evidence, and then hold it over scientists head that they can't provide that from an era before humans even existed? No, we cannot provide photos, or videos, from before this past century, but that doesn't stop us from knowing things happened before the 1800s. Does science currently have an answer for everything? No. Does religion have an answer for ANYTHING, no.
lolol you are correct it is a belief in reality and it's quite a concept. You might try it out but be careful it may be too much of a shock to your system.
I see no conflict with religon here. Animals go extinct every day. There were numerous reports of people in Columus' day seeing "dragons" in the oceans that could easily have been plesiosaurs yet we do not see them today. As for "religions"...havng faith in a belief system that claims the earth is billions of years old when it has been proven that things such as carbon dating are not 100%, I would say the faith of people such as farscape's require a far greater leap then others..... on the order of say the tooth fairy
@Carl
You do your side a disservice with such poor logic. The conflict isn’t with religion to start with. It’s with refusing to believe what is material and insisting on believing in things are ethereal. Carbon dating is indeed not 100% accurate. But it is considered the most accurate for of dating. And it is real accurate or not. Your tooth fairy however have no such status in reality. Nice try though.
That where you are wrong farscape.... In science, it can be PROVEN that two atoms of hydogen and one of oxygen ALWAYS make water. 100% of the time. Science is based on fact that can be duplicated and proven time and time again Carbon dating is not science because it is not 100% Therefore carbon dating is theory or faith in, as you call it, the "ethereal" You can not prove something exisited millinos of years ago becuase no one was there to prove it. It is simply a theory, not science. Faith in the unseen... just like the tooth fairy
@carl
You really have no idea what the scientific method is do you? Please read up on the subject.. I have not the will to teach you.
"...havng faith in a belief system that claims the earth is billions of years old when it has been proven that things such as carbon dating are not 100%,"
Not only is your post wrong, but it shows the depths your ignorance about science. The earth is about 4.54 billion years old. This is via various radio metric dating methods, primarily of meteorites that also formed at the same time. Radio metric dating is accurate within standard error bars. People who claim it isn't accurate never post their citations to peer-reviewed scientific research supporting that claim. [Hint – AIG is NOT a scientific source]
I'm also confused why you linked the age of the earth with carbon dating? C14 dating is never used for inorganic material – like rocks – or for things over ~60,000 years.
This, again, is stuff you should have learned in Junior High.
Seriously – do any religious nutters ever crack open a science journal?
Psst.. farscape.. there are dinosaurs in the Bible... just saying.. 🙂
Your personal interpretations are irrelevant. But I’m since you bring it up, you’re going to need to narrow down a few things. First..what version of the bible are you referring to? Secondly and more specifically.. what verse are you referring to? Please don’t say it’s the 7 headed red dragon. Lastly..even if you could make a reasonable argument for a dinosaur being in the bible it proves nothing. There are also demons, angles, parting seas and boats big enough to contain all life forms that exist on the planet. Not exactly a credible source of facts. To say nothing of the fact fossils are millions of years old.. that would include ‘biblical’ times.
ahhh farscape your biblical ignorance betrays you.... try the book of Job chapter 40 verse 15-19 for starters. If you are concerned about which version to use, get out the original Hebrew and translate it with a good concordance. You will find the animal being described quite interesting. If you need more verses, let me know 🙂
@ carl
I make no claim to be a biblical expert. Again you reframe the topic to ‘prove’ your point. It’s kind of sad. Your comment also does nothing to disprove mine. The bible is not considered to be a source of historical or scientific fact. And as stated above.. personal interrelations are irrelevant. Even if the bible did describe a ‘dinosaur’ what does that prove? Nothing. Fossils are millions of years old…that means older than your bible. Do you need me to connect the dots for you?
Your bible also talks about unicorns and satyrs. Along with talking donkeys and snakes. Not to mention it claims rabbits chew their cud and grasshoppers have 4 legs. Are you sure this is how you want to roll.
Carl, why did you leave out the part where the "dinosaur" starts breathing fire? Job 41:19-21.
Farscape-
Your comment on religion has nothing to do with the article. The article is about SCIENTISTS working on astronomical topics working in a place where fossils are present and, apparently, common. Where does it mention some faith based rejection of the history of dinosaurs??? Is your internal dialogue really that loud?
@melvinslizard
You’re 100% correct. My comment was about the other comments. Much like your response to me. Do try to keep up.
I was reading this discussion when something interesting occurred to me. If you go with the premise that things like dinosaur and carbon dating are all part of an elaborate ploy to discredit religion, just what kind of secret organization must be behind this?
It obviously must have been around for a very long time, with long range plans (like planting bones to dig up hundreds of years later), and have its hands into practically everything. It makes you wonder just who is on it, and more importantly, how does one join it?
I hope it turns out to be real. It's great to find these treasures.
yeah right if dinosaurs existed why haven't we seen any?
Please don't reproduce.
If “God” exists, why haven’t we seen him?
If you have intelligence, why can't I tell?
@Farscape: you can see God's prints everywhere, just like the dinosaur. Can't see the dino, but his existence left marks so we believe in the dino's existence. Look around – order, systems, first causes – God's prints are everywhere, so we believe He exists.
@InHim
none of the things that you have listed have suggested that someone from beyond this world has done that.
you have filled him in in the place of lack of knowledge behind the creation of such things b/c you were told that he existed growing up as a child and that book written hundreds of years ago mentions him.
@melvinslizard
Because my intelligence is right in front of you and your perception of reality is much like the invisible man in the sky.
@ Dragons are a fallacy.... Your response to InHim is exactly what i thought when i read the non sense s/he was spewing. Nothing InHim listed can be proven to be a print left by god... yes that's a lowercase g, because I'm using the textbook definition as opposed to a fictional single omnipotent being... Order? Really? Read any article in the "World" section on CNN and come back and tell me about the order that god is imposing on us.
Heeey. . .That's my Father you're talking about.
My apologies Jesus, please forgive me so i can one day be welcomed into your magical sky paradise.
"It was moving as fast as one of these guys could go. I suggest it was running."
And it appears it was running _away_ from Washington. Who says dinosaurs were stupid?
Wow you are SO clever!!
HAHAHAHAHAHA
Over a million years old and it sits on TOP of the surface of a well manicured campus? COME ON!!! That lawn was bulldozed when they BUILT that place! Do the math people!! Scientists can be SO smart they become STUPID and lose all sense of LOGIC.
Ever been to Goddard Space Flight Center? It has acres of beautiful, nearly natural landscaping among the buildings.
It appears as if much of it was never bulldozed. You ought to check it out.
You ought to try examining facts before you attempt to apply logic to your preordained conclusions.
I like how you build a hollow argument using nothing but one article, a photo, and your assumptions, then sit there and call scientists stupid, despite the fact that we use vigorous methods of testing over and over again before presenting results.
How can we be sure this is not a picture from Mars showing proof of life there?
How do we know your comment is not from Mars? Is it proof that life is unintelligent here?
I put that fosil there to make you all think God does not exist and that the earth is more than 6,000 years old! MEWWWW HAA HAHAHAHA!
Dammit Satan, quit messing with my diorama.
"'Everybody's excited about it,' Binstock said. 'We're all about discovering new things.'"
New things? Isn't it 110 million years old? 🙂
LOL! Epic! I wasgoing to say the same thing! 😀
Compared to the galaxies and planetary systems the astrophysicists are typically studying... yes, it's very new!
It looks like a Rorschach test card to me.... Are those nudes?
Can't blame Oprah for that!
No, I think it could be Oprah.
Looks like Jesus to me
More like Bart Simpson.
Does anyone else see the shape of a treetrunk that needed to be cut down during the original landscaping of the lawn? Could it have been cut as low as it could be cut, then covered over with dirt and sod and after many years of wind, rain and foot traffic, it has now resurfaced? It's a good idea to bring in NASA officials to determine if that is a tree trunk or a fossil.
I'll repost something else that someone else has reposted from the article:
"A paleontologist will do a survey to confirm the find, Binstock said, and will help determine what areas on the fenced campus may need further protection."
Sure doesn't sound like a NASA scientist to me. And in another lesson of reading comprehension, the reason NASA is involved is because it's at a NASA facility in Greenbelt, MD.
And yes, I'm sure your opinion and thoughts on the matter trumps those of of a guy who's discovered 1,000 prints...
Thank you for your kind words Chris. I'm sure your opinion and thoughts on the matter should trump mine since they are my thoughts and opinions... and yours are so much more important... to you.
Chris in NC, what is it with folks such as yourself that go online to belittle another person's ideas? CNN's "soundoff" is merely a medium to convey one's own thoughts and opinions on the article. Not to put down whomever is at the other end of a computer. Kindness over meanness takes the pot every round. Try it out sometime!
The problem is that you have folks with zero training, zero education, zero experience, in archeology, geology, paleontolgy, etc. posting inane claims.
We see this over and over on every story about fossils, evolution, abiogenesis, cosmology, ACC, etc. We see people who purposefully have chosen to be ignorant about science going onto science threads and posting things like this.
A TREETRUNK? You creationists are hilarious.
You found only one print? This is starting to sound like the religious nut jobs with food that resemble characters from their fairy tales. It may simply be a coincidence that it looks like a dinosaur foot print.
From the article –
" A paleontologist will do a survey to confirm the find, Binstock said, and will help determine what areas on the fenced campus may need further protection.
"I said this is not the only one," Stanford said. "There has to be many here."
Officials are staying mum on the footprint's exact location"
Right, because every footstep taken by a dinosaur always resulted in a fossil. Good thinking.
you would assume that after millions of years, the track would be covered by inches of dirt and grass would have grew all over it.......
And then there is wind, rain & storms that blow surface dirt away. People are always finding artifacts that were previously buried
One small step for a dinosaur; one giant leap for mankind.
that is so cool!
wow, that was a really interesting article!!! that was a really cool find, if you take the time and know what to look for you can find fossils all over the place as well. amazing stuff.
The obvious reason it has not word nown over millions of yrs is because the millions of yrs do not exist. Clearly the track is only a few thousand yrs old. The evidence that man lived with dinos is overwhelming. Consider the Delk Track! So many are blinded by thier evolution paradigm and cannot see past it to the truth becfause the implications are unacceptable to them. BTW, dinos were on the ark!
Hahahahahah. On the ark? Hahahahahaha. BIG DAM-N ARK!
Why do folks, like NephilimFree, who purposefully choose to be ignorant about science, come onto a science thread and demonstrate that ignorance?
Unless, of course, one of these nutters actually has peer-reviewed scientific evidence to support their inane claims.
The creationist nuts are 'dumbing down' our country with their unscientific imaginary beliefs that man and dinosaurs once occupied the Earth at the same time. The worst part is that these types of people usually tend to have large families b/c they don't believe in birth control. Our country is doomed!
Jebus discovered America while riding is velociraptor! Duh!
I have this on a tshirt, actually. It's pretty amazing.
If Noah put all the animals on the ark, including voracious meat-eating dinosaurs, to have them escape from a long-duration flood that covered the earth and wiped out all–what happened to/why are there still plants?
Can you imagine – being on the ark with a T-rex. Somebody, make a movie.
" BTW, dinos were on the ark!"
Very well – many species of dinosaurs were carnivores. And some were obligate carnivores. These species must eat meat – or they die. Another example are members of the Felidae family – including modern cats.
Remember, the rain lasted 40 days, but they floated for another half year. What did these obligate carnivores eat? And what did they eat after the ark landed? Remember, all arable land has been submerged under 30,000 feet of brackish water, and been covered with hundreds to thousands of feet of silt and debris. It will take generations for plants, especially edible plants to evolve. So there is nothing for the herbivores to eat. And without herbivores, you can't have carnivores.
We'll get to the hard questions involving population genetics after you answer this one.
"dinos were on the ark!" Where does it say that in the Bibble? Lying for Jesus is so much fun, right?
I used to watch Dinosaurs on TV.
I'm the baby, gotta love me!
110 million year old foot print huh....
I meant yeah some of us are obvious imbeciles....we voted for bush, TWICE....even worst we will vote for the twitt but, really? really 110 million years? Right there on the surface.....we are not just imbeciles....we are just dying for attention now and it just doesnt matter where it comes from.
You are aware that you are surrounded by rocks that are millions of years old, right? Right there on the surface. Pick up a geology book and learn a little something about how the world works.
There's a place in Canada (not sure of exact location/ territory) that the exposed rocks are over 3 BILLION years old... carbon tested and verified. It's a haven for geologists because it's some of the oldest exposed rocks that are known. This is a place that gets immense amounts of rain, snow etc... so it's completely viable. Besides – dinosaurs were around for millions and millions of years, I would expect a few footprints to be saved out of the undoubtedly trillions of steps that dinosaurs have taken.
Sorry – not carbon tested. Max is circa 50k years.
To follow up what has already been said, the exposed rock in the Rocky Mountains are approximately 1 billion years old. A changing, dynamic earth often brings to the surface what has been buried for millions of years.
My driveway is full of limonite pebbles millions of years old. Right there on the surface of the million-year-old ground. My cousin in Pennsylvania has a small cliff loaded with fossils on his land. They are a million years old, too.
Right, print lasted several million years, never worn down by elements, missed when building sidewalks, buildings, mowing, you name it. And one to boot. I suppose anyone could find a depression in a rock, and have an imagination – its called Child Play. Remember the cloud animals? Come on guys, let's get real. You think that print has sat there millions of years? I'm thinking someone is having fun creating a Dinasour crop circle here.
That's why they're calling in an expert to review it. They're not just assuming it's real.
Don't be so hasty, my friend. In my little town, students on a field trip found a 325 million year old fossil of a nautiloid over 8 feet long, the largest ever found, in a drainage ditch along one of our busiest roads. Now, that's a field trip!
Basic geology as it relates to paleontology:
1. A "sign of a life form" (bone, imprint, etc.) is buried in sediment and thus sequestered from weathering and other disturbance.
2. Chemical processes harden the material that will become the fossil. This may be mineral-laden water soaking into a bone and depositing solidified minerals within the bone perserving its shape, or different types of mud (one that bears the footprint and another that fills and covers the footprint) harden differently under identical conditions of moisture and pressure.
3. Erosion removes the overlying layers so that the ancient and now harder fossil is exposed on the surface.
No, the footprint was not exposed on the surface "all that time." But is is exposed now, and somebody found it.
Quit posting the scientific process of a fossil. You're scaring everyone!
I am glad somebody finally put some science behind it to show these boneheads how a fossil is formed. Processes on the earth aren't the same everywhere which is why some fossils are still buried and some get exposed on the surface. It's funny how an article about a potential fossil find turns into a religious and political debate – the story of America anymore.
Thank you for your intelligence.
You are wasting your time.This is what they think:
Step One: Satan makes a fossil.
Step Two: Someone finds it.
Step Three: A Bible-thumper breaks it up with a hammer and everyone is saved.
Have you ever been to, or heard of, Dinosaur National Monument in Texas. Millions of years old footprints in the riverbed. Worth doing some research so that you can talk about the subject at hand intelligently.
Admission and correction. I should heed my own advice. The location I meant was Dinosaur Valley State Park.
This is why the earth is only 6000 years old. If it were millions of years, like some 'scientists' suggest, the weather would have cleaned it away by now.
And where does it say Earth is 6000 years old?
(Bible doesnt, if you are wondering)
Right on, Sam! First, can they read? I guess so, because they're here, but can they understand what they read? Our Bible is curiously quiet on the age of everything topic probably because the authors didn't give a flip. Do you think, Sam, they would be so much in favor of the 6K year thing if they knew the idea came from a bored Irish cleric, a leader in one of those horrible, devil worshippin' European cults?
For one thing it isn’t OUR bible. For another all your biblical specific concepts came from bored clerics of your cult.
Oh, dear. Sorry, Farscape, I can't resist. Let me explain. I was replying to Sam's post. Sam and I are two people referring to the same proper noun, the Bible. In that case, correct grammar requires I use the 1st person, plural, possessive pronoun "Our". In addition, there's nothing in the post from which you could deduce anything about my religious beliefs, much less a belief in some "cult". Is this stuff over your head? However, Sir, I can deduce from your post that both your understanding of "our" (get it) language's grammar and logic suck. No wonder our civil structures are crumbling.
They get that from the "begats." If you add them all up, it's only a few thousand years, not millions. Because the Bible is REAL, the begats are the actual record of history. Sad, ain't it? It's like they put a lock on their brains,
@ Other Side
My usage of the lower case was intentional. Bit of a back hand at those who use a capital g for god because they don’t who his name. Do you? Not that I’d expect you to know that. As far as your second assertion that there is nothing in your comment..this is wrong. Your usage of “our Bible” is quite clear. In short you’ve basically made an azz out of yourself trying to look more intelligent than you are.
It wasn't exposed to the surface that entire length of time. Please take a refresher course in geology.
Religious nuts find the face of Jesus in grilled cheese, and Dinosaur nuts find "110 million year old" Dino tracks sitting prettily on top of a manicured lawn.
LOL my thoughts exactly.
Trouble with that analogy is that most dino footprints found actually turn out to be dino footprints, but none of those tacos actually turn out to be Jesus. Keep inspecting your tacos, though; maybe you'll get lucky?
and somehow there is just one? right....he left one print...
Why do people post political crap on articles like this ?
"Dinosaurs still roam Washington, D.C. They're called congressmen."
"Does this mean Obama will get another Nobel Prize?"
It seems almost every article I read on CNN someone has to post something in regards to politics. WHY ?!?
Lame.
Anyways....that is pretty awesome. Walking around a print for probably a decade and never even knew! What is even more amazing is how long its been there. I would like to stumble on a print one day. If it was deep enough I would turn it into a cereal bowl. I think that would highlight my mornings.
... that is simply ridiculous ... 110 million year old and it just sits there ... gimmie a break
Why is this strange? This kind of stuff happens all the time thanks to acid rain erosion, wind and construction. It is rarely reported however.
It's strange because ancient cities are buried beneath layers of soil and must be excavated to be studied...yet a dinosaur print 110 million years old just sits on top of the surface? You do the logic.
It’s strange because these imbeciles have no idea what they are talking about. Here is a hint.. it didn’t ‘just sit there on the surface”…sigh.
I had not just sat there. Here is how it may have worked. Dinosaur steps in mud. Mud dries, and gets covered over in dust and dirt. grass grows. Millions of years later, dirt gets blown away and the dried mud, now a rock, gets exposed. This is a rare event, else they would be all over the place. It has not just sat there exposed forever.
Actually, It's completely feasible... wiki search the "Canadian Shield" Those surface rocks are 4 BILLION years old.
Dino prints are pretty cool. When I was in junior high, a bunch of us participated in a geology field trip through the local community college. One of the things we did was go to a spot where there were dino prints. We even did a cast of what I believe was a young Allosaurus' print. There were several prints in the area, but they were all larger and it would have been too difficult for us to carry a cast of a larger print out of the area. As it was this one was pretty heavy.
Dinosaurs still roam Washington, D.C. They're called congressmen.
Haha, super clever! It took me a few minutes, but when I got the joke I couldn't stop laughing. Thank you for that, it made my morning!
Romney will be a Megasaurass after November...
I have heard that joke before. I think the first time was in 1962. Are you a dinosaur yourself?
I found a bunch of human foot prints on the beach yesterday. For sure they must be from cavemen. They've been hiding in plain sight for many thousands of years.
No, clearly it was jebus carrying you, you heathen.
Was it Friday?
If it's 110 million years old, why is it on the surface? Nothing covered it over 110 million years? I think anything that even looks remotely like a dino print is immediately deemed to be one. Probably just a rock.
I was thinking the same, why is visible after 110 million years .. I bet someone faked it, like the kids of some of the scientist that work in that location, perhaps, , put it there and just do whatever and see how long it takes for someone to notice
It's been covered and uncovered several times.
Well this is why we aren't experts in discovering these things.
Come on, y'all. Read a book. There's tons of interesting books on the topic. Some of them, Shady, even have pretty pictures in them.
" I think anything that even looks remotely like a dino print is immediately deemed to be one. " Try not to think if you can't do better than that.
Maybe one of the aliens that NASA has hidden in area 51 snuck over there and put that print next to the path as a joke.
How can something "hide" in plain sight??????????
Hiding in plain sight is also known as: obvious to the naked eye, present, but not seen. Kind of like the similarity between Arnold Schwarzenegger and his household employee's son gone completely unrecognized by Maria Shriver for 14 years. Hiding in plain sight was his child by adultery.
Yea, like the arrow in the FedEx logo.
My keys do it all the time.
lolol
God is doing it right now.
If you'll notice... nothing grows there. Any grass is just adjacent to it. Scientifically, this means the dino had a case of athletes fungus... (or foot)... yep, its' gotta be the real McCoy.
uh, "scientifically", what they appear to have found is actually a fossilized footprint–if verified–and would have to have been preserved in stone–which is the only way it could have survived since the Early Cretaceous period. Grass doesn't grow through rock, so your "fungus" theory is not only bad science, but bad humor as well.
Too cool for school man. Gotta love the irony of the location.
Happy for you. Keep on discovering for the rest of us.
And keep us posted, pls.
Hiding in plain sight? Sounds like the work of... Bob the Dinosaur!
Fantastic news!!!
Keep hunting! Gimme more, more more!
I wonder if a nodosaur tastes like chicken?
Actually, more like turkey.
I was thinking it would be more like snake...
Millions of years??.. with all the ice ages and all the human activity that has gone on there including the civil war, I think that's just a print left there as an eye candy to the nerds who work there.
The sidewalk by my house has sidewalk marks identical to this one. Should I put a fence around it and get people to pay me to see it?
Sorry, am not buying into this one. How many years ago has that foot print been in place and just found on the-surface? Yeah, sure they did. Total Washington BS as usual.
Ignorance is bliss
Yep, gotta agree with you there..... lets see...110 million years of weathering ice, snow, rains, winds, people traffic and yet it's on the surface?....that's a stretch even for a novice like me.
Fun to dream though!!
That's why you'll stay a novice. Do some research before you pass off reality as a hoax.
Dinosaur Valley State Park, that's where the amazing prints are
Wow, it's almost as if all of these dinosaur tracks were made by animals that lived not millions, but thousands of years ago...? Red blood cells found in dinosaur bone, tracks found in the same layers as human tracks, etc. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dinosaur.html
Perhaps conventional wisdom needs to be examined by the "scientific" establishment, and evidence should shape assumption, instead of the other way around.
Gee whiz, Greg, you're so much smarter than those darn scientists. They don't know anything, do they? They are just too stupid have already thought of anything you thought of and taken those things into account. You should contact all the national news organizations, the leading universities-the WORLD! Everyone is so dang stupid. You need to educated us all.
the word 'science' simply means 'knowledge'. is it an industry?
Sounds like you should be publishing your results in the peer-reviewed journals. C'mon. Science needs budding Einsteins like yourself to turn the industry on its head.
Agreed Greg. About 4000 years old, maybe a little more. If people would read their Bible, they would notice that a flood killed the dinosaurs off around that time. Funny that dinosaurs are still all around us in the form of the reptiles we have today, and evolutionist based scientists are tripping over them looking for "pre-historic" dinosaur bones and tracks...lol
You made me lol so hard there, Don.
Sorry Don, but I never cared much for fiction.
Not sure if this = sarcasm.
Dinosaurs are NOT reptiles. Brush up on your vertebrate systematics.
I'm sure you've conducted years of research, Greg.
Enlighten us some more.
Greg,
You sure have a bunch of ignorent closed minded people attacking you. Apparently they have not read the news in the past couple of years concerning prehistoric DNA. You posted a link to an article in the SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dinosaur.html – which your critics convientlychose to ignore to their own bigoted shame. I guess if you don't like you pet theory challanged just malign the anyone who offers proof of that challanges it.
And to you sceptics that would rather throw verbal assults than to research the facts. The world is not flat, the sun does not rotate around the earth, and you are not the sum of all knowledge.
>>You sure have a bunch of ignorent closed minded people attacking you.<>And to you sceptics that would rather throw verbal assults than to research the facts<<
Hypocrite
(P.S. Please use spell check.)
That link is actually to another really cool article. The researcher seems to have found evidence of red blood cells in fossilized T. rex bones, and there is plenty of evidence that they really are tens of millions of years old. It turns out we might learn something new about how fossilization occurs and what might be preserved at the microscopic level.
However, I don't think Greg read the part where the researcher talks about being horrified by how young earth creationists "twist your words and manipulate your data," to support their ideas.
Pay no attenrion to this nitwit, the article (which he apparently didn't read) is actually quite exciting, telling about a very important discovery. Check it out:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dinosaur.html/
Uh – the article you site doesn't support the claims you make at all. It only concerns the discovery of traces of soft tissues – blood vessels – in dinosaur fossils, a rare but not unheard of occurrence. The complete rubbish you tacked on to the end is nowhere to be found.
What does it say for your position, exactly, when you have to lie and mislead in order to support it?
"...that roamed suburban Washington, D.C., about 110 million years ago." How can that be? Everyone knows the earth is only 6,000 years old. This must be another one of those "tests of fatih".
Who is this Fatih and why is he testing me?
I think it looks like The Virgin Mary.
Dinosaurs are a hoax
*ba dum pssch*
bible say so 😉
Not so, Church say so.
Ruby is correct. The bible doesn't mention dinosaurs. But it has lots of helpful tips on how to handle your slaves.
If dinosaurs are a hoax then so are the birds and their fake "presents" that they leave on car windshields.
Religion is a hoax.
Religion isn't a hoax. Humanity is.
If humanity is a hoax then religion would be also, seeing as how it was created by humanity and all. There I go again using logic….sigh.
Great. Now that they know what it is they're going to fence it off from the public.
Of Course. That's a 110 million year old side walk. What can the public expect.
Unless they find other evidence to corroborate the print...it seems to me like the perfect case of someone who looks for things and patterns just seeing exactly what they want to see. Grilled cheese virgin mary anyone? Find other evidence in the area, or show some detail on the type and strata of soil and then maybe we can all get excited and speculate...
I agree Ben. Just sitting by a sidewalk...yeah right, When that place was built, that whole place was graded. They didnt just happen to lay down a ssidewalk right by this track. and ,,,shouldnt after 110 million years it would be covered and a lil deeper
Actually that is not necessarily true. I’ve worked in civil construction for years. Natural locations are persevered on a regular bases. Sidewalks can also be added LATER..in areas there were not developed.
Agreed. The chances of a fossil of any sort being exposed at the surface are so slim that no fossil should exist. Therefore, all fossils are hoaxes. QED, ad inifinitum et absurdam et nauseam.
Yo Quid, Texas is full of fossils near or on the surface. You can find all sorts of fossil sea life with little searching. From San Antonio to Amarillo. They're out there just waiting to be picked up. Do a little homework before you make false statements.
Uh – fossils are ALWAYS found at the surface. That's how they get noticed. Both deposition and erosion take place in nature.
Yo, Kanageloa. It's called SARCASM!!!
Get a life, and a sense of humor. pwned
@quid. I'm glad you don't speak for Texans. I guess high school was pretty hard for you, huh?
Quid, try using the HTML tag. Otherwise you sound just like a fundamentalist.
Har, it munged my tag. I said "" as in "sarcasm" HTML tag.
Curious to know how they can be so confident it's a dinosaur foot print. Just because it looks like a foot print...
next time you see an animal with a one foot wide foot call and i'll take a picture and be famous
African Elephant at the nearest zoo. I don't believe your photo will make you famous but one never knows.
They went to college. Try it.
There was a creek near Bergstrom AFB in Austin TX that had many, many dino's prints in the stream bed. I could sit in them when I was a kid many years ago......
Reblogged this on The Trough.
looks like regular ol' dirt to me.
How would a foot orint be intact for millions of years on the earth,s surface. I assume it was a foot print in mud...just curious
It probably wasn't on the surface for much of the time since it was made. Erosion probably uncovered it in the last few hundred years. Or its just Xenu playing tricks again.
My guess is Xenu, that or the exact same process that formed tens of thousands (or more) other ancient footprints.
PRECISELY. If you look at the picture carefully, you'd realize that after the so called millions of years, the surface would have changed considerably because of rains, overgrowth vegetation, not to mention that it looks like it is on the TOP SOIL. LOL
I am giving this "professor" the absolute HORSE LAUGH, as well as the NASA university.
If that foot print is in fact a dinosaur foot print, and by the way, there are a lot of foot prints all over this Earth, then it tells you that dinosaurs became extinct NOT TOO LONG AGO. There are records from many nations including China, Africa, and in Europe, that tells you that dinosaurs were roaming around amongst people.