In 1992, 100 tracks made by six or seven reptiles nearly
100 million years ago were discovered in an old limestone quarry along
Stratford Drive in Zilker Botanical Garden. The tracks cannot be used to
specifically identify which kind of dinosaur made them, but it is likely
that they were made by ornithomimids ("bird like" from the Greek), a type
of theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period. Some of the
tracks may have belonged to a 4-8 foot carnivore (Coelophysis-like) and a
sauropod (maybe a Brachiosaurus).
It took some time to determine how best to preserve the
dinosaur tracks after they were uncovered. On display for several years,
it became obvious that the tracks were quickly eroding and could not be
preserved for public viewing. After much discussion with experts, and
production of molds and diagrams, the Austin Area Garden Council decided
to protect them by burying them under a facility built to recognize their
presence. The Hartman Prehistoric Garden was created at the site of the
tracks. Reproductions of these
While uncovering the dinosaur tracks, bones of a marine
turtle, genus Osteopygis, were uncovered in March 1992, providing
more insight into the life of central Texas during the
Cretaceous Period. Plans are currently
underway to represent this creature in the garden with a six foot bronze
sculpture, however additional
fundraising will be required.
