Geoscience Reference
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awareness of trace fossils and their importance in our understanding of dinosaurs,
tomakeandshareasurfeitoftheirowncreativetraces,bothwhimsicalandserious.
So as we all make our own traces in our everyday lives, also imagine which
ones will outlast us all. Will any of our traces also survive longer than the tracks,
nests, burrows, and toothmarks of dinosaurs? Or will dinosaur trace fossils some-
how surpass our own meager ichnological record? They already have had a
230-million-year head start, and with thousands of living descendants sharing the
earthnow,theoddsarestackedagainstus.Butnomatter.Thisrenewedappreciation
fordinosaursisnowpermanent,andonethatrecognizesanotherdimensionofthem
beyond their bones. Place your hand on a dinosaur track, and you connect with the
breathing essence of its maker, leaving your own fingerprints on it: life traces inter-
secting through time.