Need help identifying footprint

[scrabblemlhook]

Three of my family members found this footprint in Lake Powell, Arizona last October 2020. They differ in what they say the size is from 4 to 12 inches, but my husband is probably the most reliable measurer and saying 12 inches. They looked for more quickly but did not see any. The photo of scenery has a person in a white shirt in the upper central middle in the shadows it was right there or right below there where they found it. A university professor has said it is prehistoric. I did minor searching for clues and the only thing I have so far is it may be a therapod (dilophosaurus?) from the Kayenta formation. If we had to take someone to the exact location that is possible.  Thank you for any input....

 

 

  

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Cropped and contrasted:

 

 

This looks more bird/pterodactyl like than theropodish, in my opinion. 

Toes are very thin for theropod.   

The lack of other footprints may point to this being a carving/geologic oddity. 

 

 

 @Auspex  @Troodon   @LordTrilobite

[Daniel Fischer]

The first thing that came to my mind is a Therizinosaurus hand and I think the Therizinosaurus nothronychus species were found in the same area as your therophod footprint.

It seems to make sense because Nothronychus is a therapod,  it's a little smaller then a regular Therizinosaurus hand (just like nothronychus's hand) and it was found in the same area as the nothronychus.

I am still not sure this is a nothronychus and honestly it's probably not but this may be a possibility.

[Auspex]

My first impression is that it was incised in the rock, rather than an impression in one-time mud.

 

[DPS Ammonite]

Was it on a bedding plane or was it on the side of a rock? Was the professor saying that it was human made?

[jpc]

The beds are Triassic... no birds back then walking about.  And it NOT a pterosaur.   But is it a genuine footprint?  My default answer on questionable ones like this is that if there is a series of them, then that is an excellent argument for genuine footprints.  Without the series of footprints, it can be impossible to tell.  

 

This is also a great example of why we should include a scale in our photos.  Not to pick on you, but just to show an example.  There is huge difference between 4 and 12 inches.

[LordTrilobite]

The shape is quite odd. Over- or under-print maybe? Or just something else entirely.

[Troodon]

Very Cool .  Lake Powell has been at all time low levels exposing rocks that can easily  pre-date dinosaurs/birds.  I agree with the comments questioning if its an actual footprint.   

[supertramp]

the bottom of the impression appears to be devoid of the oxidation patina that covers the surface (probably not a bedding plane) and with unusually sharp edges; so, probably recent.

ciao

Edited March 31, 2021 by supertramp

[Rockwood]

I would wager that footless shapes resembling the would be heal of the print can be found indicating a different origin. The shape correlates well with the cracks as a potential factor in their production as well. 

[LabRatKing]

I see a footprint-shaped depression, but given it is solo and with none of the usual anatomic indicators, with no other fossils or ichnofossils present, I have to play the voice of reason and chalk this up to a geologic oddity. Notice that some of the matrix that filled in the shape is still intact along the outer edge of the left-most "digit"