Taylor Site, Paluxy Riverbed, 1984, Glen Rose, TX

The Taylor Site contains several trackways of largely infilled, metatarsal dinosaur footprints once considered human by many creationists, and a trail of deeper, more typical digitigrade dinosaur tracks. Click image for larger view. Photograph (C) 1984, Glen J. Kuban

The Paluxy Dinosaur/"Man Track" Controversy © 1996-2020, Glen J. Kuban http://paleo.cc/paluxy/



For many years claims were made by young-earth creationists (YECs), that human footprints or "giant man tracks" occur alongside fossilized dinosaur tracks in the limestone beds of the Paluxy River, near Glen Rose, Texas. At one time many YECs argued that such tracks supported their belief that all life forms were created only several thousand years ago, dramatically contradicting the conventional geologic time table that humans did not appear on earth until over 60 million years after non-avian dinosaurs became extinct. However, the "man track" claims have not stood up to close scientific scrutiny, and in recent years have been abandoned even by most creationists. The supposed human tracks have involved a variety of phenomena, including metatarsal dinosaur tracks, erosional features, and carvings. The largest number of "man tracks" are forms of elongate, metatarsal dinosaur tracks, made by bipedal dinosaurs that sometimes impressed their metatarsi (heels and soles) as they walked. When the digit impressions of such tracks are subdued by mud-backflow or secondary infilling, the resulting depressions often superficially resemble large human footprints. Other alleged "man tracks" including purely erosional features (often selectively highlighted to encourage human shapes), indistinct marks of undertain origin, and a smaller number of doctored and carved tracks (most of the latter occurring on loose blocks of rock).

A few individuals such as Carl Baugh, Don Patton, and Ian Juby, continue to promote the Paluxy "man tracks" or alleged human tracks in Mesozoic or Paleozoic from other localities, but such claims are not considered credible by either mainstream scientists or major creationist groups. When examined thoroughly and carefully, the Paluxy tracks not only provide no positive evidence for young-earth creationism, but are found to be among many other lines of geologic evidence which indicate that the earth has had a long and complex history.

This web site provides a collection of articles reviewing the history of the Paluxy controversy and relevant evidence, articles on other alleged out-of-order fossils and artifacts, and information and links boarder aspects of trace fossils, paleontology, and the "creation/evolution" issue. Unless otherwise noted, the articles and illustrations are by myself (Glen Kuban). The site now includes a thumbnail-based photo gallery of track sites in and around Glen Rose, Texas.

Among the recent additions is a recently published scientific paper containing extensive documentation of the Paluxy tracksites.

I welcome comments, questions, and corrections from visitors. Feel free to contact me at gkpaleo at yahoo.com (just replace the "at" with @ and close the spaces; I'm doing this to reduce spam). Since some visitors have asked about my background, I have included a brief bio. Thanks, and enjoy your visit!



<



Contents:

A Review of ICR Impact Article 151

- Addresses misconceptions in ICR's 1986 statement on the Paluxy controversy

Dinosaur Tracksites of the Paluxy River Valley (Glen Rose Formation, Lower Cretaceous)...

by J. Farlow, M. OBrien, G. Kuban, et al (2012).

Scientific paper reviewing the major Paluxy tracksites and track types.



ICR Continues to Disseminate Misinformation on the Paluxy tracks

ICR continues to selling materials which, in contradiction to their own recommendation, promotes the Paluxy "man track" claims.



Retracking Those Incredible "Man Tracks"

- A review of "man track" claims since 1986



"Alvis Delk Track"

- Reviews new claims regarding a "human track" overlapped by a dinosaur track on a loose block of Cretaceous rock from Glen Rose, Texas.

"The Burdick Print"

- A loose "giant man track" track promoted by Carl Baugh & Don Patton

The "Meister Print"

- Reviews an alleged sandal print with trilobites from Antelope Springs, Utah

The "Coffee Print" [Draft]

- Reviews an alleged human print on a loose slab of Permian rock from Stinnett, Texas

The Zapata Track [Draft]

- Reviews an alleged human print on a loose rock from New Mexico

Do Human Tracks Occur in the Kayenta of Arizona?

- A review of CRSQ Reports on Alleged 'Humanoid' Tracks in Arizona

Alleged Human Tracks in Carboniferous Rocks of Kentucky

Alleged Nevada "shoe print"

"Giant Tracks" at Carson City, Nevada prison?

A Russian "Paluxy?"

- Addresses dinosaur and "human-like" prints in Turkmenistan

Langebaan Lagoon footprints, South Aftrica

"Limestone Cowboy?"

- An alleged fossilized cowboy leg in a modern boot

"Alleged Hand Print in Cretaceous Rock"

An Alleged Cretaceous Finger

Alleged Cretaceous "human hands"

A Tale of Two Teeth

- Dr. Ronnie Hastings refutes an alleged Cretaceous "human tooth" from the Paluxy Riverbed.

"Lake Erie Monster?"

- An alleged baby "lake monster"

The London Hammer

- An alleged out-of-place artifact from London, Texas.

The "Moab Man"-"Malachite Man"

- Alleged human bones in Cretaceous sandstone, Moab, Utah

The "Onyate Man"

- A Dinosaur -- Eating a Human?

Alleged Iron Pot in Coal

Men Over Ten Feet Tall? by Ed Babibski

- Discusses claims by Carl Baugh and Kent Hovind about "giant" skeletons

AIG's 'What About Carl Baugh?' web page

- Critique of Baugh's claims by the creationst organization Answers in Genesis

A Matter of Degree

- An examination of Carl Baugh's claimed credentials

Dinosaur and Alleged Human Trackways

- A commentary by David Tyler of the Biblical Creation Society, a creationist organization in Great Britian.



Other Views: Carl Baugh

- A commentary on Carl Baugh's claims, by Stephen Meyers.

NBC's TV special "The Mysterious Origins of Man" - Reviewed

- Claims of human tracks and a "fossilized finger" promoted on national TV

Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, TX

- Information about park facilitites and attractions, including descriptions and photos of the dinosaur tracks.





On the Right Track - The Relevance of Dinosaur Tracks to Extinctions



"Seeking Ancient Paths" - A retrospective by John Armstrong following a Paluxy visit (1989 ASA/PSCF article)

Of Dinosaurs and Men - By Arthur V. Chadwick of Keene College, TX (1987)

The Rise and Fall of the Paluxy Mantracks, by Ronnie J. Hastings (1988 ASA Article)

Creation/Evolution, Issue 21, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer 1987

- Tracking Those Incredible Creationists - The Trail Goes On, by R. J. Hastings

Creation/Evolution, Issue 17, Vol. 6, No. 1, 1986 Includes the following articles:

- A Summary of The Taylor Site Evidence, by Glen Kuban

- Tracking Those Incredible Creationists: The Trail Continues, by Ronnie J. Hastings

- Man-A Contemporary of the Dinosaurs? by Alexandr Romashko, translated by Frank Zindler

- Scientific Creationism and Error, by Robert Schadewald



Creation/Evolution, Winter, 1985, Issue 15, Vol. 5, No. 1 Includes the following articles:

- Tracking Those Incredible Creationists, by R.J. Hastings

- Foot Notes of an Anatomist, by L.R. Godfrey

- Mantracks? The Fossils Say No!, by J.R. Cole, L.R. Godfrey, and S.D. Schafersman

- If I Had a Hammer, by J.R. Cole

- It Ain't Necessarily So: Giants and Biblical Literalism, by J.R. Cole





Creation/Evolution, Issue 06 (Volume 2, Number 4 - Fall 1981) Includes the following articles:

Paluxy Man-The Creationist Piltdown, by C. G. Weber

An Analysis of the Creationist Film, Footprints in Stone, by L. R. Godfrey

Tripping Over a Trilobite: A Study of the Meister Tracks, by E. C. Conrad

"Dinosaur Tracks and Giant Men" by Berney Neufeld, 1975

- Early creationist publication critical of the Paluxy "man track" claims,

based on 1970-71 field work by a team from Loma Linda University.



Thunder in His Footsteps. by Roland T. Bird, 1939 Natural History article.

- Paleontologist from the American Museum of Natural History relates his early Paluxy work



A Dinosaur Walks into the Museum, Roland T. Bird, Natural History Magazine, Feb. 1941

- Classic article about the early Paluxy excavations

Reply to Unfounded Rumor

- Refutes groundless insinuations that Glen Kuban destroyed a track.

Web Sites on Dinosaur Tracks

- Other sites on dinosaur tracks and ichnology (the study of trace fossils)



Links on Texas dinosaurs and paleontology

- Texas museums, fossil clubs, and websites on Texas fossils and dinosaurs



Geologic references

- References on the geology and paleontology of the Glen Rose Formation

Paluxy River Track References, compiled by Paul Heinrich

- Comprehensive list of Paluxy references

Other origins-related articles by Glen Kuban



Stegosaur Carving on a Cambodian Temple? - A review of claims that a dinosaur is depicted on the Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia



Living Pterosaurs? - A review of claims that pterodactyls or other pterosaurs survived into modern times.



Sea-monster or Shark? - Review of a supposed plesiosaur carcass netted by a Japanese trawler in 1977.





A Russian Plesiosaur? - Review of a supposedly "mysterious" carcass washed up in Russia in 2006.





No Physical Death Before the Fall?



Does the Bible Describe Dinosaurs in the Book of Job?



Walter Brown's Hydroplate Flood Model Doesn't Hold Water



Do Radio Halos Demonstrate a Recent Creation?





Compelling Evidence Against YECism and "Flood Geology"

ICR's RATE project claimed a success, but actually supports an old Earth



Fossil Tracks and Other Trace Fossils Refute Flood Geology



Meteorite Craters Refute Young Earthism and Flood Geology



Human-host Diseases Refute a Recent Global Flood



Genetic Diversity Refutes a Recent Global Flood



Marsupial Distribution Refutes YECism





Evidence for an Old Earth Includes links on radiometric dating and the age of the earth.



RationalWiki site refuting YEC claims about fossil sorting

The Geologic Column and its Implications for the Flood Talk.Origins article by Glenn Morton

Thorougly refutes common YEC claims that the geologic column is ficticious

Were the Creation "Days" Literal 24 Hour Days? (Several articles on this subject)

Links on recent claims about dinosaur blood

Rebuttals of other young-earth arguments

Includes links and articles on the alleged shrinking sun, speed of light decay, missing neutrinos, oil pressure, polystrate fossils, human population growth, moon dust, decay of the earth's magnetic fiend, sedimentation rates, Walter Brown's hydroplate model, and more.

Selected origins-related websites by others

American Scientific Affiliation

Organization of scientists who are also Christians interested in exploring issues of science and faith. The "Topic Collections" links on their home page provide a wealth of information on the origins debate.

Kevin Nelstead's "The GeoChristian" website

Kevin says that the main objective of his site is to increase science literacy among evangelical Christians, especially in the areas of the Earth and environmental sciences.

Richard Deem's God and Science web site showing that young-earth creationism is Biblically and scientifically unsound.

Institute for Biblical and Scientific Studies by Stephen C. Meyers

Features many articles on various aspects of creationism and Biblical archaeology

Answers in Creation website by Greg Neyman, an evangelical Christian whose site debunks young earthism.

Biologos Forum - Science and Faith in Dialogue.

"Evolution for Christians" by Robert J. Schneider

"Morton's Demon" by Glenn Morton.

Glenn relates an affliction he once shared with many young-earth creationists

Paul Pavao's "Proof of Evolution" site

Compelling evidence for evolution presented by a Christian author

Donald Wise's Creation/evolution page. Wise argues that "creation science" undermines Christian credibility and creates unnecessary division among Christians. Includes many links to similar websites.

Neglect of Geologic Data, by the late Dan Wonderly

Wonderly's book presents many lines of robust evidence demonstrating that the earth has had a long and complex history. A must-read for anyone with a serious interest in the Creation-evolution controversy.

God's Time Records in Ancient Sediments, by Dan Wonderly

Another excellent book demonstrating many strong lines of geologic evidence for and old earth.

Two interesting articles by Dick Fischer:

Days of Creation: Hours or Eons?

Young-earth Creationism: a Literal Mistake

Young-Earth Creationism: A Literal Enigma addresses fundamental problems in the approach of young-earth advocates

Essays by former young-earth creationists:

Other resources on the C/E issue

Talk.Origins archive. The largest collection of origins-related articles on the web. Includes secular and theistic authors, mostly from mainstream scientific perspectives.

EvoWiki A large compilation of articles on origins

RationalWiki site refuting YEC claims about fossil fossil sorting

"Flood Geology" Vs. Common Sense by Ed Babinski

A Challenge to Young Earth Creationists by Jack DeBaun

Outlines numerous lines of robust empirical evidence which refute a young earth

"The GISP2 Ice Core: Ultimate Proof that Noah's Flood was Not Global" by Paul H. Seely

Supernova 1987A Refutes 6000 Year Old Universe by Geno Castagnoli.

My Thoughts on Global Warming