It’s now not too hard to believe that something like Sesame Street’s “Big Bird” once roamed the Pacific Northwest. Earlier this spring, geologists discovered the first ever undisputed track of the 50 million year-old bird, Diatryma. The three-toed track is about one-foot square and supported a flightless bird that stood seven-feet tall.
The track is preserved in a sandstone slab, which was dislodged and exposed on state lands in Whatcom County by one of the many landslides in 2009 after heavy rains. The slab itself weighs over 1300 lbs, and required a helicopter to lift it from the outcrop where it was discovered.
As you can probably tell by now, this all took place with DNR’s permission and because this giant fossil would be displayed at a public university and available for educational uses and scientific research. Here’s information about fossil collecting in Washington State, including the state laws that require you to get permission to remove fossils, artifacts, etc.
The fossil footprint uncovered in Whatcom County dates back to what geologists call the Eocene, about ten million years after dinosaurs went extinct. It was a time when the Pacific Northwest climate was warm and tropical, and would have provided prime habitat for birds.
It’s possible this isn’t the first Diatryma fossil found in our region. A similar, though larger, track preserved in siltstone was found 18 years ago. The track remains controversial for researchers, and comparison between the two tracks will undoubtedly give better insight into the other slab’s origins.
This newest fossil is on display at Western Washington University’s Geology Department.
Read a WWU geologist’s description of this find and learn more about the geology of our region on the Northwest Geology Field Trips blog.
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