Dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic period found near Tuba City, Arizona, in the Navajo Nation

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Dig this: It's National Fossil Day. Let’s talk fossils

Was there a time in your childhood when you told your parents ‘I want to study dinosaurs when I grow up!’? On USA’s National Fossil Day, we encourage you to channel that childhood curiosity. The event, a celebration of paleontology, often includes events at local museums, parks, and schools. Participants may get to see amazing remnants of the past, such as the dinosaur tracks on our homepage, which were photographed in Arizona, southwestern United States. They’re from the Jurassic period, which spanned from about 200 million years ago to 145 million years ago, when reptiles like the brachiosaurus, allosaurus, and stegosaur roamed. Bones are often the first thing that comes to mind when fossils are mentioned–but the term also encompasses elements such as footprints, burrows, and feeding marks, which are all examples of ‘trace fossils.’