The Controversy

The Paluxy river controversy began around 1982 with Dr. Baugh’s discovery of a human footprint 17″ from a dinosaur track on the McFall property after excavating the overburden. The Dallas Fort Worth Star ran several articles one titled “Tracks Step on Evolution”. Dr. Baugh was contacted by the three major national news TV stations, ABC, CBS, and NBC for an interview. Dr. Baugh was promised a TV interview but it never materialized. However a national radio interview was carried out and aired with ABC. Additionally, reverend Stanley Taylor’s film “Footprints in Stone” was made in 1972 and continued to be circulated around the US.

All the publicity of Glen Rose finally got the attention of atheist groups and individuals. Several teams came down to see the tracks. A very young Richard Dawkins even showed up in the town of Glen Rose to belittle the so called “human footprints” in a documentary that was shown on NOVA. But the biggest antagonist of the human tracks was a computer programmer named Glen J Kuban who was living in Ohio at the time. If one Googles “Paluxy River tracks” Kuban’s website is one of the first of many to come up to debunk the tracks and discredit Carl Baugh and Don Patton’s credentials. He and Ron Hastings, a science teacher from TX, traveled to Glen Rose and investigated the Paluxy tracks around 1985. They were even included in the documentary which featured Richard Dawkins debunking the “man track” claims. They took pictures, measurements, and gathered data finally concluding that the tracks were a type of dinosaur track called a tridactyl metatarsal track. Kuban pointed out that tridactyl prints were seen in most of the prints in the “Taylor” trail. The atheists cried foul and that the tracks were made by dinosaurs and not human.

Dr. John Morris of the Institute for Creation research got involved and traveled to Glen Rose to examine the tracks more closely. He came to the conclusion that the evidence was not decisive enough to be called human. The pressure was enough to cause Paul Taylor, son of Stanley Taylor and head of Films for Christ, to pull the movie “Footprints in Stone” out of circulation. While it is true that the tridactyl prints in the Taylor trail exist, upon examining these tracks closely it can be seen that, at the time the prints were formed, the human came after the dinosaur, was following them, stepping in, and around the tridactyl prints. This, as it turns out, is even more definitive evidence that man and dinosaurs literally walked together contemporaneously. It makes sense that in deep mud a human would naturally follow the dinosaur trail in order to avoid the drag of stepping in fresh deep mud as one would do when trying to traverse in deep snow. This is supported by the fact that another print along the trail shows the human foot completely on its own stepping outside the dinosaur tracks. Another track shows the human foot partially in and outside the tridactyl tracks.

But there are other tracks in the Glen Rose area that show close similarities to human feet. Mr. Kuban created the idea of “partially infilled tridactyl footprints”. That is that the dinosaurs were walking on their heels and that their toes did not leave very deep imprints. The mud then later collapsed inward forming the footprint that looks nearly human. He also attributes some of the near human footprints to be the result of erosion of tridactyl prints. Kuban, like many evolutionists, was recognized as “humanist of the year” in 1986 for his imaginative thinking. However, any person that has taken a high school math course in geometry should know the difference between symmetry and asymmetry. The metatarsal tracts, after partial mud infilling, should be symmetrical about the vertical axis. If you were to draw a vertical line down the center of a tridactyl print dividing the outline in half, this vertical line would be called the line of symmetry. A print or image is said to be symmetrical if you cut it in half and the mirror image of one half matches the other half. See the Figure 1 below.

tridactyl_symmetrical
If Kuban’s theory were true, this symmetry should be present in the tridactyl prints but they are not. Clearly many of the prints have an assymetric shape to them. A human footprint is assymetrical. See Figure 2 below:

human_foot_assymetry

You can see that lines of the footprint are not symmetrical about the vertical axis. There is not a mirror image of the outline about the vertical axis. This is called asymmetry. The majority of the human footprints show a clear indication of asymmetry. While most of the prints in the Taylor trail don’t show clear definition of the toes there is a clear outline of asymmetry and a left-right pattern of a bipedal human like creature. Another problem with the eroded tridactyl print theory is that the eroded prints should not show indications of the arch of a human foot. A human foot curves inward where the arch is. A tridactyl foot does not. Here are images of some of the assymetric shapes in the tracks Kuban calls tridactyl prints. We wouldn’t stand firmly on these being definitive human footprints and the AW13 probably was made by a tridactyl dinosaur foot but it could also have been later stepped inside by a human due to the asymmetry in the inner shape. We’ll let the reader make the ultimate decision on these prints as should be done for every print.

Albert_West2

Albert_West4

Albert_West13

One of the best in situ human like prints that were found around the tridactyl prints at the Taylor trail was the -3B. The -3B track was so good that Don Patton began convincing many people during his presentations that dinosaurs and man existed contemporaneously. In August of 1989 Don was giving a presentation in Dayton TN on the Taylor trail. Mr. Kuban and another known atheist were present. Mr. Kuban, according to Mr. Patton and Bob Helfinstein, was visibly disturbed and Mr. Kuban admits to this on his own website claiming it was because of Don’s representation of the evidence. The next day, Sunday, Glen Kuban and Scott Faust, were seen in the Paluxy River by Dorthy McFall with an iron bar and three days later it was discovered that the -3B, the +1, as well as the Ryal’s track were maliciously damaged. Don Patton has taken a lie detector test administered by a certified polygraph technician and has passed regarding the matter of these damaged tracks. For more details on this issue please see the following link:

http://www.bible.ca/tracks/taylor-trail-glen-kuban-slanderous-accusations-refuted-fabricated-rumor.htm

Interestingly, the Dinosaur Valley State Park brochure mentions the types of tracks found in the park area but the mention of the tridactyl prints are missing from the brochure. If these dinosaurs were common to the area why aren’t their tracks listed on the brochure?

The modus operandi of the evolutionists for the Paluxy human footprints appears to be as follows; if the track in question has been extracted from the river bed then it has been carved. If it is found in situ with dinosaur tracks then it is a dinosaur track and not a human footprint. The idea that man and dinosaur lived contemporaneously is simply unacceptable to them. While George Adams admitted to carving a few tracks to sell to tourists the carved ones can easily be distinguished from the real ones in that the real ones exhibit mud push-up around the print as well as similar weathering in a out of the track. Additionally, it has been determined that at the most only five human tracks were carved and one is in the possession of Carl Baugh in the Creation Evidence Museum. As John Morris states in an article at ICR’s website, “The fact that there are carved prints at Glen Rose only confirms the idea that real ones were found because only the presence of real ones would’ve given people the inspiration to carve the footprints to begin with.”

The national news media, books, magazines, and universities have no problem endorsing evolutionist Mary Leakey’s find of the Laotoli human footprints in volcanic ash from Africa. One of the footprints seen here shows an asymmetric shape with vague toe prints, heel, and arch. But this was acceptable as a human footprint to the evolutionists because there were no dinosaur tracks found nearby.   Mary Leakey’s discovery first appeared in a National Geographic Article in April 1979 titled “Footprints in the Ashes of Time,” and can be seen below:

laetoli_footprint
And she said this regarding the determination of the height of the individual making the human footprint:

“An anthropological rule of thumb holds that the length of the foot represents about 15 percent of an individual’s height.”—*Mary D. Leakey, “Footprints in the Ashes of Time,” National Geographic, April 1979, p. 453.

571LaetoliFootprints_NG

The artist that did the painting for the cover of the magazine took the liberty to paint a walking ape like humanoid with ape like feet showing the big toe of the footprint extending out to the side based purely on imagination and not science. This is the length people will go to substantiate the theory of evolution and discredit the Bible. It reminds one of the Bible verse in 2nd Timothy chapter four, “For a time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine but will gather about themselves teachers having itching ears and saying what they want to hear and so they will turn from the truth unto lies.”

9 Replies to “The Controversy”

    1. No
      No matter how many paragraphs of mental gymnastics creationist write the obviousness of fake evidence can’t be overcome.
      No matter how much you wish a thing to be true, if it’s not true it will remain untrue.
      Faith shouldn’t be about pretending and if that fails pretend harder.
      What’s required here is the faith to know that God is greater than human scribed scriptures.

      John 5:39
      Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
      John 5:40
      And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

      The Bible has become a God in and of itself, a modern day idol, a lie that inspires all manner of lies and deceit to protect itself from the truth. As for me I’d rather be like Abraham who had neither Bible nor Church, but was the friend of God that God might reveal himself in truth rather than through preconceived notions brainwashed into children in Sunday school.
      You can study homelessness but will know nothing of it even with a PhD in sociology unless you’ve been homeless. You can read the Bible all your life and know nothing at all of God unless you experience God yourself. I have yet to encounter a self-proclaimed Christian that knew anything about God. While I freely admit my ignorance of God at least I’m open for a new experience, a paradigm shift traditional Christians can’t imagine taking for fear of breaking the taboo of their cult. I’m sad for the world of the ignorance this faith embraces.

      1. I understand your skepticism and frustration. I’m not sure if you watched the entire video but I have seen all of these footprints firsthand myself. After seeing the evidence for myself and looking at everything and weighing out all of the questions, I have no doubt that the human footprints are a very real. No doubt that they are an anomaly and a thorn in the side of those who believe in long age standard scientific dogma.

        This video is actually just meant to allow people to make an informed decision about what they believe. Many people don’t even know that there is a alternative to the evolutionary ideology that they are brainwashed with through most of their primary and secondary education.

        As far as the Bible is concerned, I think that it has proved itself over the course of many thousands of years. One reason why it has survived is because it is true and has stood up to the hardest scrutiny.

        The Bible is not a God. The Bible is simply the bedrock of truth and the foundation from which to build a worldview. There are actually four ways in which God speaks to his true followers.

        1. The authoritative words written in the Bible. Every building that will stand strong must have a foundation. The Bible is the metaphorical foundation for the worldview which supports a creator God who loves and interacts with his creation.

        2. The Holy Spirit. We use the Bible to test everything the Spirit says and if it does not contradict God’s written word then it’s ok.

        4. Our experiences and feelings. God often times uses our experiences and feelings to teach us. We use the Bible to test everything that our experience and feelings teach us. If what our feelings and experience teach us does not contradict God’s word then it’s OK.

        5. Other people’s experiences and advice. God often times uses others to communicate truth to us. We use the Bible to test everything that others say. If what they say does not contradict God’s written word then it’s OK.

        I’ll give you an example. If your feelings and experience tell you that you should hate your enemy then your feelings and experiences are wrong. This is because in God’s word, Jesus said “love your enemies and bless those that curse you.” Therefore you should choose to obey Jesus and love your enemies.

        Most people who call themselves Christians truly don’t even use the Bible as it was meant to be used. They really just live the way they want to live and pick and choose what they think is applicable to them from the Bible. It’s unfortunate and folks will be held accountable for that.

        Thank you for leaving the comment. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to share their views in a relatively respectful way.

        Kind regards,
        Jeff

      2. Wow, you must be a real thinker. Proverbs tells us there is a way that seems right to a man but end of that way is death. It also tells us that of much learning there is no end. Here’s what Romans 1 says:

        20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

        21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

        22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

        23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

        24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

        25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

        26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

        27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

        28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

        29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

        30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

        31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

        32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

        You’re kinda in that camp William. Men will go to great extremes to deny the authority of the Scriptures and we’re seeing it escalate around us daily.
        Basically all of these things seem foolish to the carnal mind because they can only be spiritually understood. To us believers the bible is no type of idol but the only way to know God. If you never met a Christian that doesn’t know God than either they aren’t real Christians, or they don’t fit into your conceived idea of what they should know. What is truth?

  1. I like it.
    I would like to show you the human fossil footprint that I found.
    Can I send you some photos?
    Will you let me know what you think?
    Thanks,

    1. Hi Ken,

      You are more than welcome to send some photos. I’m not an expert on the subject I just produced the video. I do know people who are experts on the subject and could show them any evidence.

      Just to let you know upfront because of other contacts that I have had with people through emails, I am not interested in purchasing any footprints whether real or fabricated.

      Kind regards,
      Jeff

      1. Hi Jeff,
        Could you please post the photos I sent you so that everyone can see them and decide for them selves?

        Thanks,
        Ken Mello

  2. What an awesome website you have put together. I had always heard about fossilized human footprints but never looked into it.
    The evidence is certainly interesting and thought compelling.
    Thank you.
    Greg

  3. I remember back in about 1972 seeing the pictures of the large footprints in Dr. Morris’s book “The Genesis Flood” and a song about the Paluxy tracks so I’ve been following this debate off and on for a long time. What is obvious is that the creationist position has gotten stronger and the evolutionist position is in disarray. Dr. Sanford, a geneticist who taught for 30 years at Cornell and has a background in plant breeding, has written a few books (“Genetic Entropy”, and “Contested Bones”) that strongly challenge the entire evolutionary paradigm. About the only area that hasn’t crashed is the dating methods but there are quite a few provable false dates of historic sites. The problem is with dates of sites that are too old to prove historically. Anyway, keep up the good work, God is winning! Too bad that the belief in evolution is so deeply entrenched. It truly is a religion….

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