Dinosaurs roamed Virginia

Millions and millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed throughout North America, including Virginia. Many fossils and dinosaur bones, teeth and tracks have been found to substantiate the claim; most, however, are buried beneath vegetation, bridges, roads, and parking lots. Astute observers are finding the tracks before they are paved over. One such site is in Northern Virginia near Culpeper.

In 1989, Robert Clore, a stone engraver from Orange County, and several of his coworkers found almost 2,000 three-toed dinosaur and reptile tracks. It was the most numerous find on Earth at the time. More have been discovered; today the number is close to 5,000 tracks.

A newspaper reporter quotes Clore as saying of the initial discovery, “It was 17 tracks. It looked like a big chicken had walked through."

He wasn't too far off!

Paleontologist Robert E. Weems studied the tracks and identified six dinosaurs: Agrestipus, Anchisauripus, Apatichnus, Eubrontes, Grallator, and Gregaripus. Agrestipus and Gregaripus were herbivores; the others were carnivores.

The Grallator is a member of the coelurosaur family and is more related to birds than dinosaurs. Dr. Weems noted the Grallator may have had feathers. Although not capable of flying, the dinosaur must have had “sufficient aerodynamic lift to run easily at high speed.”

The Gregaripus was a member of the ornithischian family; ornithischian means bird-hipped.

The Anchisauripus, Apatichnus, Eubrontes were members of the carnosaur family. Fast and agile, these meat-eating dinosaurs ran on two legs.

The Agrestipus was a member of the sauropod family. These dinosaurs are known for their long necks, long tails, small heads, and four thick legs.

Each year the quarry welcome, visitors one day only, to examine the tracks. Past events have sold out fast, and the same is true for the 2019 event. Tickets this year were $20, with all proceeds going to the Museum of Culpeper History. The museum has on site one of the dinosaur tracks and an entire exhibit dedicated to the late Triassic period of between 235 million and 200 million years ago.