Display of the Tetrapod Trackway
One of the most unique and, personally, interesting places to see here in Valentia Island is the tetrapod trackway. I have an interest in perhistoric animals and to know that there is something related to that here in Valentia Island, excited me no end. There is a bit of a walk from the car park to the actual trackway itself. The trackway is was actually discovered by a student. What is so significant here is that this one of four trackways which shows evidence of the move of life from the water to the land. This supposedly happened in the Devonian period which was around 350 to 370 million years agao, where water based life evolved with primitive limbs to help them get out of the water from a period of time.
Closer Look at the Tetrapod Trackway at Valentia Island
The tracks were left here by what is probably one of the first amphibians. It is incredible to imagine that this happens when life didn’t exist on land. The actual trackway itself is not very impressive. What is one display here is actually a mold of what was found. To me, it looked more like piles of sand you can see underwater. It would have been too easy for me to miss this had I been here. It is said the primitive limbs and tail left marks which can be seen here, but not to my untrained eye. Still, it is a nice change to see things kind of thing here.
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