Vacationer Finds 200 Million Year Old Dinosaur Footprint Near Parrsboro

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The Fundy Geological Museum in Parrsboro has acquired a new piece of history after the discovery of a dinosaur footprint at Five Islands Provincial Park this past summer.

Derek Armstrong, a professional geologist with the Ontario Geological Survey, was vacationing in the area when he discovered the footprint. Without disturbing the specimen or location, he captured some photographs and brought them to Tim Fedak, director and curator of the museum. The specimen was recovered with the help of park staff and then taken to the museum for analysis and conservation.

The footprint is identified as Anchisauripus and was likely made 200 million years ago by a meat-eating dinosaur that would have been about one metre tall.

“This is a great example of public engagement with the museum,” said Mr. Fedak. “It’s so important to have the public contact us when they find something they think might be a fossil. Dinosaur footprints like this one provide important information for dating rocks and comparing sites across North America.”

This is one of many fossils that have been found in the area. The landscape around the Parrsboro shore holds fossils that represent some of the earliest dinosaurs in North America. Though the area is rich in historic finds, visitors are advised to avoid steep cliffs and practice safe navigation when exploring the area.

Dinosaur State Park in Connecticut has footprints identical to the one Mr. Armstrong discovered, providing evidence that the same species of dinosaur could have existed in Nova Scotia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and other neighbouring areas near the north Atlantic coast.

For more information visit the Dinosaur State Park Official website at http://www.dinosaurstatepark.org/ and the Fundy Geological Museum Official website at https://fundygeological.novascotia.ca/ .

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Source: Release