Paluxy River

Dinosaur tracks in Paluxy River

Glen Rose theropod and sauropod tracks, with mounted Apatosaurus in the background, AMNH

The Paluxy River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It is a tributary of the Brazos River. It is formed by the convergence of the North Paluxy River and the South Paluxy River near Bluff Dale, Texas in Erath County and flows a distance of 29 miles (47 km) before joining the Brazos just to the east of Glen Rose, Texas in south central Somervell County.^[1]

It is best known for numerous dinosaur footprints found in its bed near Glen Rose at the Dinosaur Valley State Park. The Paluxy River became famous for controversy in the early 1930s when locals found dinosaur and supposed human footprints in the same rock layer in the Glen Rose Formation, which were widely publicized as evidence against the geological time scale and in favor of young-Earth creationism. However, these anachronistic "human" footprints have been determined to be mistaken interpretation and even some outright fakes.^[2] The family of the original man, George Adams, who made the claims, later admitted it was a hoax.^[3] "My grandfather was a very good sculptor," said Zana Douglas, from the Adams family who found many of Glen Rose’s real dinosaur tracks.^[3] She explained that in the 1930s and the Depression, Glen Rose residents made money by making moonshine and selling dinosaur fossils.^[3] The fossils were bought for $15 to $30 and when the supply ran low, George Adams, Zana's grandfather, "just carved more, some with human footprints thrown in."^[3]

References

1. ^ Handbook of Texas, Paluxy River
2. ^ The Texas Dinosaur/"Man Track" Controversy, Talk.Origins
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "Human footprints along with dinosaur tracks?". Star-Telegram. August 10, 2008. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/820344.html. Retrieved 2007-02-19. ^{[dead link]}

See also

• List of Texas rivers
• Glen Rose Formation
• Hoax

Coordinates: 32°21′N 98°02′W / 32.35°N 98.033°W / 32.35; -98.033