Long ago, dinosaurs walked on the Earth. They moved on their big, strong legs.
Sometimes, a dinosaur walked in soft, wet mud. The mud was near a lake or a river.
Each step left a deep mark in the wet ground. These marks are called footprints.
The hot sun started to shine on the mud. The mud became dry and very hard.
More sand and dirt blew over the tracks. This kept the footprints safe for a very long time.
After many years, the mud turned into solid stone. Now, scientists find these stone footprints in the ground.
They use tools to dig the tracks out. They study them to learn about the past.
A very large footprint tells us a giant was there. A tiny footprint shows a baby dinosaur walked by.
Some footprints have sharp claws at the ends. Other footprints are round and flat like a big plate.
We can see how many toes the dinosaur had. Many dinosaurs had three toes just like a bird.
The space between tracks tells us a story too. Close tracks mean the dinosaur was walking slowly.
Far apart tracks mean the dinosaur was running fast. It might have been chasing something to eat!
We also see if many dinosaurs walked together. They may have lived in a family or a big herd.
Scientists find tracks all over the world today. They find them in deserts and on high mountains.
Each track is a clue about a world from long ago. It is fun to imagine the giant animals that made them.
