On November 25th, paleontologist Martin Lockley passed away at the age of 73. PopSci spoke to Lockley earlier this year about his background studying dinosaur footprints and footprints.
It has rows of razor sharp teeth. A femur the size of a telephone pole. A towering skeleton of an animal taller than a giraffe. Replicas of dinosaur bodies and giant fossils housed in natural history museums around the world are usually our first glimpse into the distant past of these extinct animals. Its huge size draws people of all ages into the lost world of dinosaurs. however, Paleontologist Martin Lockleyit was the footprints and footprints of dinosaurs that caught his attention and launched his paleontologist career.
“People found the footprints interesting, but they had the perception that they were not very helpful in interpreting dinosaur activity. We don’t know why that was. Understanding that footprints were made by animals… You don’t have to be an expert to do that,” Lockley said. pop science By phone in October.
[Related: A newly discovered sauropod dinosaur left behind some epic footprints.]
Born in Wales in 1950, Lockley pioneered the study of dinosaur footprints and footprints preserved in rock formations around the world. He taught for over 30 years at the University of Colorado, He has published over 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers and written 17 books..dinosaur Ichnogenus Rockleaps It was named in his honor in 2018. Along the way, he won the University of Colorado Teaching Award Student Award, Received the 2020 Cultural Heritage Conservation Contribution Award from the President of South Korea.
Rock Lee also dinosaur ridge Truck site in Morrison, Colorado. This protected site is currently one of the premier dinosaur tracking locations in North America. He also helped build the University of Colorado’s Fossil Trace Collection. Approximately 3,000 original or replica specimens of footprints and railroad tracks, and 1,600 full-size footprints and railroad tracks. various extinct species.
“Some of the more interesting remains were made by small animals, and they are not the typical dinosaur footprints that we are familiar with. We also found footprints of pterosaurs and other small reptiles,” says Locke. Mr. Lee said.
Lockley’s research helped fellow paleontologists understand what fossil footprints can tell us about dinosaurs and the world they lived in.
“Martin created the science of dinosaur footprints,” says colleague and curator at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. spencer lucas To tell pop science. “Through his energy, drive, and collaborative spirit, he created the entire subfield of paleontology.”
What trace fossils tell us
Footprints and footprints left by dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals trace fossils. These marks can provide clues to how fast the creature walked or ran, and even what its skin looked like. Compared to body fossils, from bones to teeth, trace fossils contain evidence that animals were interacting with their environment and can depict what the physical environment was like. . Lucas says these provide a more reliable way to estimate a dinosaur’s speed than analyzing its skeleton.
“When I go back to the beginning Jurassic Park movie where tyrannosaurus “When you’re chasing a Jeep, some people might see a skeleton and say it can go 30 miles an hour or so,” Lucas said. “Others have also said that these big dinosaurs couldn’t run that fast. Problems tyrannosaurus We don’t have railroad tracks. We only found a few isolated footprints. ”
a tyrannosaurus Trackways are the best way to get a reliable estimate of a dinosaur’s speed while driving. Trace fossils provide a glimpse into the behavior of ancient animals, and body fossils tell us about their anatomy and structure. Having both types of fossils gives paleontologists the most comprehensive view of dinosaurs.
“One of the most interesting things is why some formations have only tracks, or most tracks and very few bones, while other formations have mostly bones and very few tracks. ” Lockley said. “It seems to have something to do with preservation in certain conditions, whether it’s wet or dry land, leading to better preservation of the track in the formation, and other conditions leading to more preservation of the track.”
[Related: After 60 years, a mysterious Australian dinosaur just got downsized.]
Lockley said one of the eternal mysteries this next generation of dinosaur footprint hunters will be able to solve is why certain species leave more bones than footprints and other species leave more footprints. The question is whether there are only a few physical specimens left.
“Triceratops-like dinosaurs are very common in bones, but rare in footprints,” Lockley said. “Size doesn’t seem to have anything to do with these formations, as there are other track sites with larger tracks. They are still as common as other dinosaurs.”
How does discovery happen?
Lockley was a lifelong nature researcher who grew up searching for shells and fossils along the Welsh coast.Son of a deceased ornithologist Ronald M. Lockley, his father encouraged him to “just go out and observe and trust your observations.” He took that advice back to the United States, where he very early recognized the power of the “right place, right time” nature of scientific discovery. When he first arrived in Colorado in 1980, The student first suggested visiting Rockley to see a series of dinosaur footprints. Located in Gunnison, southwest of Denver. The footprints turned out to be life-changing, as Rockley recorded a place that was little studied or understood at the time. It turned out to be the largest dinosaur footprint in North America.
“The discovery that excited me the most was really serendipitous,” Lockley said. “They came from just walking along the beach and going looking for something that looked like the same thing, and it turned out to be something completely different.”
Follow footprints around the world
Although North America has more fossil footprints than any other place in the world, Lockley’s printmaking has allowed him to spread far and wide. He explored fossil and vestigial sites in China, Korea, Spain, South Africa, Mexico, Bolivia, and Britain.
[Related: New dinosaur species is nicknamed Jurassic’s ‘smallest runner.’]
These footprints are a good stand-in for extinct animals, even if they were found on a different continent. It also provides valuable information that is not always revealed from bones and other remains.
“Martin has a very international perspective,” says co-researcher and paleontologist at Columbia University. paul olsen To tell pop science. “He was working on some Korean trucks and noticed that those trucks had the impression of beautiful skin. Although it wasn’t surprising that they had such skin , we wouldn’t have been able to know those details without the footprints,” Olsen said.
In addition to discovering the footprints, Lockley devoted his time and energy to preserving these important parts of the fossil record. This includes the political steering required to: Create a UNESCO World Heritage Site So that future generations do not lose precious relics of the past. His colleagues cite Rockley’s dedication to preserving and promoting dinosaur jerseys and footprints around the world as his legacy.
