Though Austin may be but 188 years old, there is tons of history to be found here.
We’ve already told you all about objects in local museums that are older than the Capital City, but we want to go deeper with fossils that were found in town, with some dating back millions of years.
The Leanderthal Lady
Discovered in 1982 at a construction site in Leander, “The Leanderthal Lady” (aka “LeAnne”) is a prehistoric female skeleton discovered by Texas Highway Department archeologists. Carbon testing revealed that she was about 30 years old, measured 5' 3", lived some 10,000-13,000 years ago, and was buried with great care.
Onion Creek Mosasaur
An enormous, 30-to-50-ft water lizard called a Mosasaur once roamed the waters (up to 600 ft deep) of Central Texas in the late Cretaceous period. Its skeleton, discovered at Onion Creek by UT geology students in 1934, had sharp teeth and a jaw that could open nearly three feet. You can see it for yourself displayed in the Texas Science & Natural History Museum.
Dinosaur tracks
As recently as 2025, dinosaur tracks were discovered in the Big Sandy Creek area after the July floods. UT Paleontologists believe the three-toed footprints found in limestone date back 115 million years ago and were likely made by an Acrocanthosaurus.
You could make the next big discovery. Find some fossils on your own at Shoal Creek, Enchanted Rock, or a hiking trail.
