What Do Dinosaur Tracks Tell Paleontologists?

The most direct information available from dinosaur tracks deals with their movement. Trackways can tell whether a dinosaur was running, trotting, or walking. They show whether the animal was a bipedal (two-legged) or quadrupedal (four-legged) traveler. Paleontologists can also examine the trackway and calculate the speed of the dinosaur.

The tracks can provide additional information regarding the dinosaur's behaviors. For example, track sites that contain many parallel trackways indicate a herding behavior. Also, track sites can show whether or not a dinosaur carried its tail.

Information from the track itself can be gained as well. It shows the size and shape of the dinosaur's feet and the number of toes it had. Some clear tracks can even show the pattern of muscles and pads on the feet. This information combined with trackway patterns allows paleontologists to identify the dinosaur that made the track.