Tracks? (Please forgive if this is the wrong thread, I'm new here!)

[RockyLizard]

Location: Central Oklahoma, SE Oklahoma county.

 

We have Garber sandstone outcroppings on our property. We've lived here over a decade, and I never noticed these indentations until recently, when I stopped to clean up after my dog. I literally came back with a broom to clean them up so they were more visible 🤣

 

They remind me a lot of the prints my dogs make in snow, only it's in sandstone.

 

I tried to get photos of the individual indentations, and the groupings/lines of them at well, but it's hard to see well unless you zoom.

 

So could they be tracks? Or am I yet another case of pareidolia? 🤣 What else could make these regular, fairly evenly spaced indentations, in sandstone? I just want to know, even if the answer is, it's just my wishful thinking!

 

I know we've had at least two prehistoric inundations of this area, but there are also terrestrial vertebrates here in central Oklahoma. And I don't know enough about it to have any idea one way or another.

 

Very grateful in advance for any genuine, knowledgeable input!

[ClearLake]

Very interesting.  While I can't rule out the possibility of these being some sort of trackway, I think they may be related to the mineral barite which is commonly found in the Permian Garber Formation.  Several of them look too smooth to me for footprints.  They could be impressions of large barite "petals".  Here is a link to a circular from the Oklahoma Geological Survey which talks about barite, barite roses and the like.  Look at Figure 2; could these sand barite concretions be what are forming your impressions???  I'm not really sure, just tossing out an idea to consider.  Maybe one of our Oklahoma members is more familiar with this feature and will chime in.  I also learned that the rose rock is the official state rock of Oklahoma!

 

http://ogs.ou.edu/docs/circulars/C23.pdf

Edited April 30 by ClearLake

[RockyLizard]

10 minutes ago, ClearLake said:

Very interesting.  While I can't rule out the possibility of these being some sort of trackway, I think they may be related to the mineral barite which is commonly found in the Permian Garber Formation.  Several of them look too smooth to me for footprints.  They could be impressions of large barite "petals".  Here is a link to a circular from the Oklahoma Geological Survey which talks about barite, barite roses and the like.  Look at Figure 2; could these sand barite concretions be what are forming your impressions???  I'm not really sure, just tossing out an idea to consider.  Maybe one of our Oklahoma members is more familiar with this feature and will chime in.  I also learned that the rose rock is the official state rock of Oklahoma!

 

http://ogs.ou.edu/docs/circulars/C23.pdf

The rose rock is, indeed, our state rock;, I have a collection of them.

 

Thank you for your input! I will read your attachment when I get a moment. Appreciate your time!

[Balance]

Wish they were horse tracks. No reason other I say that than shape. They tend to step in their front tracks with the hind at a good trot too.
 

 

The Names aren’t important. Just a reference tool for remembering shapes of feet but here’s 3 common front hooves and their shape vrs two hind hoof shapes. Keep an eye out. Wild horse tracks will be like Spike’s and Ralph’s. 
 

Jp

 

Edit: remember the hoof can and most often is “loaded” of packed with snarge. So the frog impression is rarely there. Shoes on the other hand stick out like crazy. 
 

Edited April 30 by Balance

[Rockwood]

Some fish lay their eggs in a nest that is this shape.