Underwater Animal Tracks - Protofossil Factories

Animal tracks can be found around water sources. Such is the case with these Canada geese and deer tracks through backwaters of the Cedar River at Palisades-Kepler State Park near Mount Vernon, Iowa. Given the right weather, geologic conditions and time these now watery tracks could become hardened fossil tracks. However, even in drought times that eastern Iowa has experienced in 2012 it is unlikely that these tracks will survive intact following the next rainfall let alone the eons of time. But somehow fossil tracks do show up in the geologic record. We shall see.

Muddy Tracks At Abbe Creek

Were these tracks made by a velociraptor chasing proto-marsupials who strayed into 42N country eons ago? Chances are these prints can be attributed to a Canada goose and perhaps a single raccoon. Hardened mud becomes preserved by layering dry matter, which in turn can protect tracks for years. Maybe these Abbe Creek (41.94N, 91.45W) mud tracks will be uncovered in a zillion years. Discoverers might trace the footprints to also find muddy shoe impressions cropped just outside this photo. The conclusion reached will be that the animals were scared off by a Bigfoot or Yeti. Know that.