There were not supposed to be fossil dinosaur footprints in Maryland. Until amateur fossil hunter Ray Stanford found thousands, stored them in his home, and absolutely blew away every skeptical paleontologist who visited. All were prepared to dismiss him. Instead, their jaws dropped. Just goes to show what an amateur can do.
Now, one of his most important finds has been published. Mammal and Dino tracks mixed together on a slab. There is an excellent video of the discovery at this link:
https://wtop.com/local/2018/01/routi...-ages/slide/1/
And here is another clip describing his find:
How an amateur rewrote the book on dinosaurs in Maryland:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...=.6ccbeb11ca4a
"This is College Park? More like Cretaceous Park.
“My jaw stayed dropped for an hour,” said Robert T. Bakker, perhaps the most famous dinosaur hunter of the past half-century, who toured the Stanford Museum some years back.
Here and there, riding the rocky waves, peek out actual dinosaurs — the plastic variety. A leering two-legged carnivore threatens from behind a chair, all stubby arms and flashing teeth. Under the coffee table, a little low-slung, spiky ankylosaur stands guard. Each dinosaur is roughly of the type that made the track upon which it stands: visual aids for the overwhelmed visitor.
There’s even more to take in, as Stanford’s interests range far beyond dinosaur tracks. Cases of Indian arrowheads hang on the walls. Dozens of matchbox-size plastic boxes hold slices of meteorites. A dozen stone discs cover a round coffee table, some resembling old-style flying saucers, pieces for a game known as Chunkey played by the plains Indians beginning 1,500 years ago. The Indians rolled the discs and threw spears at them."
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Ray Stanford in the field, doing what he does best:
Ray also collects Native American artifacts and meteorites. And, if you're into UFOS, his name may ring a bell. As the Washington Post article above points out, he was an important researcher in the subject decades ago. It's still his first love.
Now, one of his most important finds has been published. Mammal and Dino tracks mixed together on a slab. There is an excellent video of the discovery at this link:
https://wtop.com/local/2018/01/routi...-ages/slide/1/
And here is another clip describing his find:
How an amateur rewrote the book on dinosaurs in Maryland:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...=.6ccbeb11ca4a
"This is College Park? More like Cretaceous Park.
“My jaw stayed dropped for an hour,” said Robert T. Bakker, perhaps the most famous dinosaur hunter of the past half-century, who toured the Stanford Museum some years back.
Here and there, riding the rocky waves, peek out actual dinosaurs — the plastic variety. A leering two-legged carnivore threatens from behind a chair, all stubby arms and flashing teeth. Under the coffee table, a little low-slung, spiky ankylosaur stands guard. Each dinosaur is roughly of the type that made the track upon which it stands: visual aids for the overwhelmed visitor.
There’s even more to take in, as Stanford’s interests range far beyond dinosaur tracks. Cases of Indian arrowheads hang on the walls. Dozens of matchbox-size plastic boxes hold slices of meteorites. A dozen stone discs cover a round coffee table, some resembling old-style flying saucers, pieces for a game known as Chunkey played by the plains Indians beginning 1,500 years ago. The Indians rolled the discs and threw spears at them."
-----------------------------------
Ray Stanford in the field, doing what he does best:
Ray also collects Native American artifacts and meteorites. And, if you're into UFOS, his name may ring a bell. As the Washington Post article above points out, he was an important researcher in the subject decades ago. It's still his first love.
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