In filled track of an ankylosaur- photo  submitted

Tumbler Ridge, B.C.-  It’s called an “Ankylosaur”, a plant eating dinosaur  that  has so  much armour plating, it  is often referred to as a “tank.” Now the tracks of  one have been discovered in  the Tumbler Ridge region.

It was  excavator operator Warren Garbitt of Moberly lake who  found the track,  spotting something  unusual while  operating his excavator  in July as he  cleared a site for Pattern Development’s Meikle Wind project.  Garbitt  pushed the slab to the side and reported it.

The find is of a rare type of ankylosaur says Rich McCrea, Curator of Palaeontology at the Tumbler Ridge Museum and Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre ” “This find is particularly significant because of one deep footprint with three visible digit impressions. The first ankylosaur tracks described from Canada had four obvious digit impressions, however we have encountered a number of three-toed morphs which we are currently describing in the scientific literature. This find then adds to the small, but growing population of three-toed ankylosaur tracks.”

The tracks are about 97  to 99  million years old “It was sort of a boom time for dinosaurs” says McCrea.  With the number of  tracks  recently discovered McCrea says it  tells  the story of an area that had  plenty of plant life to feed  the  plant  eating  dinosaurs, who were in turn prey for the  meat eaters. “We’ve had tracks of birds and crocodiles  and  others as well.”

There is no  provincial legislation in place that would  protect such fossils, so  McCrea says it’s  a credit to companies like Pattern Development that such finds are receiving the attention and care they are due.  McCrea says  with no legislation in place,  some  companies may not  realize they could be uncovering  major  pieces of  history “It’s all voluntary,  so  that means there  could be a lot of activities going on in areas with a high possibility  of encountering substantial or significant paleontological resources.”

Pattern Development has a protocol in place  for  archeological finds,  and in this case, the site superintendent was contacted, who in turn contacted the independent environmental monitor and owner representative. A visit to the site ensued. The area was barricaded to prevent further disturbance and the Project archaeology consultant and Environmental Manager were contacted, after which the scientists at the Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre were informed and were able to visit the site.

McCrea is  very thankful that excavator operator Warren Garbitt  though to turn the slab over, “These are in filled tracks, rather than the footprint themselves,  that slab, in the photo,  is actually upside down,  you had to flip it over.   If no one had flipped it over,  nobody would have known they were there.”

The track weighs about  4,000 pounds and Pattern Development has offered to move the trackway to the museum for eventual display.

The Tumbler Ridge Geopark was admitted to the Global Geoparks Network, supported by UNESCO, in 2014. One of 111 Global Geoparks worldwide, it is one of only two in North America and is the first in the west.