85 
DINOSAUR TRACKS FROM THE EDMONTON FORMATION 
OF ALBERTA 
By C. M. Sternberg 
Illustrations 
Plate XVIII. Impression of track 
Figure 4. Showing relative position of tracks 
Page 
135 
86 
Long before dinosaurian remains were discovered in the western part 
of North America, which in later times has proved such a rich field for 
their collection, dinosaur tracks were known and described from the 
Connecticut valley. The first record of these tracks was by Edward 
Hitchcock in 1836 when he described them as Ornithichnites or “Stony 
Bird Tracks”. 1 Since that time very many fossil footprints have been 
described, principally from the eastern part of the continent. 
It has always been puzzling to students of palaeontology why there 
have been so few skeletal remains found in the rocks where the footprints 
are so numerous. The tracks found in the Triassic of Connecticut valley 
represent not only a great many individuals, but also a great variety of 
genera and species. They show that this part of the world was thickly 
populated with a varied fauna while these deposits were being laid down. 
Yet very few of the skeletal remains of the animals are preserved in these 
rocks. On the other hand the absence of tracks in the rich dinosaur 
fields of the west has caused no less wonder. 
In more recent years Schuler 2 and Wrather 3 have described dinosaur 
tracks from the Lower Cretaceous rocks of Hamilton county, Texas, 
and Peterson has recorded some very large dinosaur tracks in the roofs 
of coal mines in Utah. 4 The latter are attributed to a member of the 
Deinodontidae and they are said to be of Mesa Verde age. As far as the 
writer is aware no dinosaur tracks have been described from North 
America from rocks younger in age than the last mentioned. 
The record of the most northerly dinosaur tracks in North America 
is of those discovered in Peace River canyon, B.C., by F. H. McLearn, 
Geological Survey, Canada. 6 These tracks are preserved at two horizons 
in the Gething member of the Bull Head Mountain formation which is 
correlated with the Kootenay of the south. The best tracks are those 
at the upper of the two horizons and are preserved in a fine, grey, ripple- 
marked, sandstone layer, which is considered as of freshwater origin. 
The impressions were plainly shown for a distance of about 100 feet and 
suggest a bipedal, carnivorous form of moderate size. Two faint impres- 
sions of smaller feet were shown which suggested to the observer that the 
animal touched the front feet on the ground while resting. 
1 Hitchcock, Edward: Am. Jour. Sei., vol. XXIX, pp. 307-340. 
* Schuler, E. W.: “Dinosaur Tracks in the Glen Rose Limestone Near Glen Rose, Texas”; Am. Jour. School. 
XLIV (Oct., 1917). 
* * Wrather, W. E.: “Dinosaur Tracks in Hamilton County, Texas"; Jour. Geol., vol. XXX, pp. 354-360 (1922). 
* Peterson, W.: "Dinosaur Tracks in the Roofs of Coal Minee”; Nat. Hist., vol. XXIV, No. 3, pp. 388-391 (1924) . 
» Geol. Surv., Canada, Sum. Rept. 1922, pt. B, pp. 5 and 34. 
