Happy Thought for 16 February 2024

Have a Happy Thought:

At some point in your life (maybe even still now), you were obsessed with Dinosaurs. Getting to see dinosaur skeletons, preserved as fossils, is always amazing.

 The last few decades of dinosaur research have focused just as much on ichnology, or: the study of dinosaur traces. These are the signs that dinosaurs left on their environment: imprints of skin (or scales, or feathers!!), nests, or even just footprints.

Image: photo of a dinosaur trace fossil, on display at St George Dinosaur Discovery Site, Utah, USA in 2016.

 

“Just” footprints can tell amazing stories – about the interactions between adults and young, or hunting scenes.

 

The lovely thing is when you start looking at footprints and other trace marks around us today, and realise that every trace you see can tell a story.

 Sometimes, those stories are transient, like the looping path this shelled creature took on the beach. This story would have been washed away with the next tide.

  

Image: a meandering track in the sand. Taken on a Northland, New Zealand beach in 2021.

 

Or this story of a dog that just had a really fun time. And, I’m guessing, a dog owner who now has more water on them than they wanted.

Image: wet dog footprints on a dry sidewalk lead to a larger puddle of water, indicating that the dog has shaken itself thoroughly to rid its fur of extra water. Taken in New Plymouth, New Zealand in 2023.

 

Other times, though, a trace mark of a short journey may be immortalised… or at least cast in… asphalt? A pigeon’s short journey shall be remembered forever… or at least until the next time this sidewalk is resurfaced. (Do you think any nearby construction workers saw this and just… shook their heads)?

Image: pigeon footprints in wet asphalt left on dry concrete. Taken in Auckland CBD in 2024.

 

Other animals just go straight for making their mark directly into wet concrete. I’m guessing small dog here. I’m also guessing it was unhappy with the feel of the ground beneath its feet and ran for comfort from its human friend.

Image: small pawprints in a chaotic tumble on a concrete footpath. Taken today (16^th Feb 2024) in New Zealand.

 

For some reason this one shouts “cat” rather than “dog” – maybe because the prints are going in a more-or-less straight line? While it was also probably fussy about the feel of the ground, it would never show it.

Image: small pawprints in a direct line on a concrete footpath. Taken today (16^th Feb 2024) in New Zealand.

 

Pro-tip: small prints in concrete are much easier to see at dawn and dusk when the angle of the light makes them much more visible.

So the next time you’re out for a morning or evening walk, with or without furred friends of your own, have a look out for some traces, fossilised or not 😊