Once filled, the print is protected from dissolution by the natural cast of sediment. The Process of Preservation Deposition can occur over a few metres or hundreds of miles. Large ancient floods covered miles of dinosaur and other tracks and traces. Return to top of page Where to look for footprints in the rocks Tracks are found in the rocks between two layers of deposition on bedding planes . This contrasts with fossil bones and shells which typically occur within the deposited matrix.
Footprints are most likely to be created between cycles of deposition.
Periods without deposition, often known as hiatuses , can represent hours, days or even years. The preservation of footprints relies on burial. Exposed prints will be subject to forces of erosion, especially wind and rain. Therefore we are more likely to find ichnites in rocks laid down by reasonably regular cycles of deposition. Natural casts tend to be more durable than natural moulds.