Are you or someone you know a dinosaur enthusiast? If you're on the hunt for a fun activity that will delight future paleontologists, this DIY project is a must-add to your list.
In this post, you'll find a simple recipe and step-by-step directions to create your very own dinosaur eggs or use your imagination to craft different fossil treasures. Plus, I've included an exciting lesson about the discovery of the dinosaur footprints in Dona Ana County, located at the base of Mt. Cristo Rey!
This exciting discovery was made by one of my all-time favorite professors, Dr. Eric Kappus! His research has shed light on the fascinating history of El Paso, revealing its prehistoric past as a coastal paradise teeming with incredible creatures. From the fierce Acrocanthosaurus to the ancient Dakotasuchus, Dr. Kappus's work uncovers a world that captivates the imagination of geo-nerds and dinosaur enthusiasts alike.
Dino Egg Recipe
Ingredients:
3 parts flour
You can use your preferred flour
1 part salt ( Using the clear kosher salt makes them look extra fancy)
1 part coffee grounds (reuse your coffee grounds, or you can purchase any pre-ground coffee, NOT instant coffee)
1 part water ( you will need to add a little more water to your mixture but do this using a pinch of water at a time. The mixture should be almost like dry cookie dough.)
I used cups and this would make about 16 medium dino eggs ( about the size of plastic eggs sold on Easter)
Directions:
Combine all dry ingredients and mix well in a large bowl
Add water gradually and continue mixing in until well combined
Extra tip: Add sprinkles of water using your fingers until all dry ingredients are mixed well.
Shape into lemon-sized balls and flatten.
Place a dino or other toy into the center.
Close the dough over the toy and shape it into an egg.
Bake on the lowest setting about 200F for 6 hours or air dry outside in the sun.
BREAKING NEWS: DINO Tracks are Discovered by UTEP Researcher
Did you know that in 2002 Dr. Eric Kappus discovered several sites at the base of Mt. Cristo Rey full of dinosaur footprints?
A Journey Back in Time: El Paso 100 Million Years Ago
Step back in time to 100 million years ago, when El Paso was a coastal paradise on the western shore of an inland sea. This region was home to a diverse array of dinosaurs, including fierce theropods like Acrocanthosaurus, gentle ornithopods such as Iguanodons and early Hadrosaurs, and armored ankylosaurs like Gastonia. But it wasn’t just dinosaurs roaming the area; ancient crocodiles like Dakotasuchus also called this place home. These incredible creatures left behind thousands of footprints in the coastal plain sediments, offering us a fascinating glimpse into a world long gone.
Figure 1: This watercolor painting by local artist Paul DuMond captures the region's landscape when the Anapra Sandstone was forming, which contains 1,000 dinosaur footprints. Commissioned by Stanley Jobe, this artwork has been made available for educational purposes. (Figure from Kappus, 2019)
Geo Nerds’ Delight: Unveiling More Earthly Insights from Dr. Kappus
The Anapra Sandstone, first divided into three sandstone layers and one silty shale layer by Strain (1976), varies in thickness from 52.5 to 64 meters due to tectonic forces around Cerro de Cristo Rey. The second sandstone layer, a tidal and littoral deposit, contains well-preserved dinosaur footprints. This layer features fine- to medium-grained ferruginous sandstone mixed with dark gray shales, and it shows signs of cross-beds and ripple marks, indicating its formation in a coastal environment.
The Anapra Sandstone is flanked by marine shales from the Mesilla Valley Formation below and the Del Rio Clay above. It contains fossils such as Exogyra whitneyi oysters, worm castings, and plant material. Sedimentary structures in the sandstone suggest it was formed in a tidal shoal to a delta complex along the northern edge of the Chihuahuan embayment.
Dinosaur Tracksites and Age
The Dakota Sandstone in northern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, and southern Colorado features the "Dakota Megatracksite Complex," a series of dinosaur tracksites. These sites date back to the Late Albian-Early Cenomanian period (~100 million years ago). The Cristo Rey site, located on the New Mexico/Mexico border, extends this complex about 500-600 km south.
In Texas, about 400 km east, older strata contain the westernmost dinosaur tracks in the state, dating back to the Early Albian period (~113 million years ago).
Figure 2: Stratigraphic section located in the Mt. Cristo Rey group. Study horizons indicated by the tridactyl footprint symbol (Figure from Kappus & Cornell, 2003).
Figure 3: Geologic time scale with nomenclature and correlation of Cretaceous rocks in New Mexico from Lucas Estep 1998. The green circle is the Mt. Cristo Rey group (Figure from Kappus & Cornell, 2003).
Figure 4. Map of an outcrop with theropod tracks with corresponding field photo (Figure from Kappus & Cornell, 2003).
Figure 5: Invertebrate trace fossils from the Mesilla Valley Formation at Cerro de Cristo Rey. Photo credit: Eric Kappus (Figure from Kappus, 2019).
Visit the tracks!
The Insights El Paso Science Center now owns 211 acres of DinoTracks at the border of 2 countries and 3 states, thanks to a generous donation from Stanley Jobe . The site was donated to Insights following the initial discovery of the dinosaur footprints by geologist Eric Kappus in 2002. Millennia of geological activity has changed the wet environment to an extreme and arid desert, but with a trained eye, we can still see the evidence of an ancient dinosaur beach at the DinoTracks site today.
Join Insights for prehistoric tour of fossilized dinosaur tracks right in the heart of the Border Region. Trained hiking guides will take you on tour of 10 different geology sites. https://www.insightselpaso.org/dinotracks
Citations:
Kappus, E., and W. C. Cornell. 2003. "A New Cretaceous Dinosaur Tracksite in Southern New Mexico." Paleontologia Electronica.
Strain, W.S. 1976. New Formation Names in the Cretaceous at Cerro de Cristo Rey, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, pp. 77-82. In Lovejoy, E.M.P.L. Geology of Cerro de Cristo Rey Uplift, Chihuahua and New Mexico. New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Memoir 31. Socorro, New Mexico.
Lucas, S.G., Heckert, A.B., and Sullivan, R.M. 2000. Cretaceous Dinosaurs in New Mexico, pp. 83-90. In Lucas, S.G. and Heckert, A.B. (eds.) Dinosaurs of New Mexico. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Bulletin 17. Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Kappus, Eric. (2019). The Human and Natural History of Cerro de Cristo Rey.
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