Connecticut’s Jurassic Park: The Theropod Tracksite at Dinosaur State Park

Session Chairs:
Peter Drzewiecki James Hyatt, Michael Ross

Dinosaur State Park is a world-class dinosaur tracksite with over 750 footprints currently on display and even more that have been reburied for protection. The park receives over 40,000 visitors a year and is Connecticut’s most famous geological attraction. Work at the park over the last few decades have revolutionized our understanding of Early Jurassic dinosaurian ecosystems, and their importance to the community today. This trip will include an introduction to the park and its history, a tour of the park displays, a walk on the track surface to examine the tracks and other geological features up close, a description of photogrammetric methods used to map the tracks, and an interpretation of the paleoenvironment in which the trackmakers lived. This trip will be coordinated with the trip led by Paul Olsen (and others) to allow participants to attend both trips if desired.