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1.
A sample of fallen blocks of fluvial sandstone from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation of Sichuan Province yielded an assemblage of dinosaur and pterosaur tracks preserved as natural impressions and casts. Collectively the assemblage reveals 132 tracks representing at least 30 trackways of tridactyl and didactyl theropods, sauropods, ornithopods and pterosaurs. Ichnotaxonomically, the trackways of small tridactyl theropods (pes lengths 7–18 cm) are indeterminable, whereas the trackway of a small didactyl dromaeosaur (pes length up to 7.5 cm) is tentatively assigned to cf. Velociraptorichnus. The sauropod trackways are assigned to cf. Brontopodus based on the medium to nearly wide-gauge pattern. Other characteristics are the U-shaped manus and strong heteropody. One sauropod trackway shows a peculiar pattern with a lack of left manus imprints, and an unusual position and rotation of right manus imprints. Different scenarios and explanations for this phenomenon are discussed. Ornithopod trackways are the most abundant in the sample and characterized by pes imprints of a small biped that are assigned here to the new ichnospecies Caririchnium liucixini. It is characterized by an unusual broad shape and weak mesaxony. Bivariate analysis of different Caririchnium ichnospecies reveals increasing mesaxony toward the larger forms, a trend that is the reverse of typical theropod ichnotaxa, where large imprints have weak mesaxony. Three isolated, small pterosaur tracks (two manus, one pes) are visible on a single surface. They show strong similarities to the widespread ichnogenus Pteraichnus. This is the ninth report of tetrapod tracks from the Jiaguan Formation in recent years and represents one of the most diverse assemblages recorded to date. It is also rare evidence of typical didactyl dromaeosaur tracks and the co-occurrence of sauropod and ornithopod tracks in a fluvial depositional environment representing arid climate conditions.  相似文献   

2.
Here we report a large dinosaur tracksite from an extensive fluvial sandstone surface in the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation of Sichuan Province, China. The site contains over 250 individual tracks comprising at least 18 recognizable trackways, including the longest theropod trackway (cf. Eubrontes) known from China. This exceptional theropod trackway consists of 81 successive footprints covering a distance of 69 m. The tracks are well-preserved and are expressed both as true tracks on the main “upper” surface and as transmitted undertracks on a locally exposed “lower” bed. Also recorded are six other theropod trackways, including small Grallator-like ichnites, eight sauropod trackways (cf. Brontopodus), and three small ornithopod (cf. Ornithopodichnus) trackways with a parallel orientation, which may indicate gregarious behavior. Several trackways of a larger theropod trackmaker show pes imprints with elongated traces of the metatarsals, suggesting extramorphological (substrate-controlled) variation and/or plantigrade posture, which is here interpreted as indicating a change in gait assumed in response to deep and soft sediment. The assemblage indicates a diverse dinosaur fauna in the Lower Cretaceous Sichuan Basin with variously sized theropods, sauropods, and ornithopods. The late occurrence of footprints of the Grallator-Eubrontes plexus in Lower Cretaceous strata is further evidence of the extended stratigraphic range of this morphotype and the distinct palaeobiogeographic distribution of these trackmakers in East Asia.  相似文献   

3.
The John Martin Reservoir tracksites from the Dakota Group of Bent County, in southeastern Colorado form part of the mid Cretaceous Dinosaur Freeway characterized by abundant ornithopod footprints (Caririchnium). Over 350 tracks (331 Caririchnium, 1 Magnoavipes, 22 crocodiles, and a few pterosaurs) were discovered at 10 new tracksites. All tracks were found as natural casts, including Caririchnium trackways that were still in-situ, parallel and regularly spaced, suggesting gregarious behavior. Most crocodile tracks are swimming tracks that consist of three or four scratch marks also with parallel orientations in many cases. A few pterosaur tracks consist of pes footprints and scratch marks suggesting swimming or floating activity in shallow water. This is the first pterosaur evidence from the Dakota Group. The Caririchnium size structure from John Martin Reservoir is consistent with the size structure tendency of the whole Dinosaur Freeway, which shows larger track size in the north. This tendency could be interpreted as evidence for more than one ornithopod species spread out across the Dinosaur Freeway. The alternative, that there was one ornithopod species that migrated north and south seasonally is less likely. The John Martin paleoecosystem is interpreted from the track evidence as a well-vegetated coastal plain environment with many ornithopods and a few theropods on land, crocodiles in the water, and pterosaurs in the skies and on the water.  相似文献   

4.
A large track site with multiple,well-preserved trackways of an Early Jurassic quadrupedal ornithischian dinosaur is the first report of Moyenisauripus-like trackways from Asia,herein named Shenmuichnu...  相似文献   

5.
A new Upper Cretaceous vertebrate tracksite has been discovered at Tamajón (Iberian Ranges, Guadalajara, Spain). The track level is a relatively smooth and slightly undulating sandy ferruginous crust, corresponding to an erosive surface at the base of a small meandering channel. It is incised into the underlying planar cross-bedded sandstones of coastal bars located at the middle-upper part of the Utrillas Formation (middle-upper Cenomanian). The site shows an extraordinary concentration of vertebrate tracks, among which numerous sets of two to five isolated digit impressions (“swim tracks”) and, at least, two trackways referred to crocodyliforms, and a single tridactyl footprint probably produced by a theropod dinosaur can be recognized. There are also several long traces (epichnial grooves) revealing sharp direction changes (up to 90°) which seem to be fish fin traces (Undichna unisulca), although crocodyliforms (tail marks) and/or fish invertebrates cannot be rejected as possible tracemakers. Some crocodyliform tracks reveal a thin raised rim, due to the displacement of the sediment by the pressure produced by the feet. Several impressions are moderately deformed by small sediment slides, only preserving their deepest part (claw marks). This is clearly indicative of a soft substrate with a high degree of plasticity and water content at the time of the track registration. Nevertheless, the sediment was hard enough to preserve manus and pes print morphologies and also possible crocodyliform tail and/or fish fin traces. Small rhizoliths can also be recognized and may belong to herbaceous wetland vegetation. The morphology of the palaeochannel, the sedimentary context and the track preservation seem to indicate that the tracks were impressed in a shallow channel located near the coast, under wet conditions and in different moments of time. This discovery represents the first occurrence of vertebrate ichnites in the Utrillas Formation, a stratigraphic unit where osteological and ichnological remains are relatively scarce, and it confirms that some crocodyliforms lived in near coast channels during the deposition of this unit.  相似文献   

6.
Poorly preserved tracks have limited ichnotaxonomic or biotaxon utility,but may reveal useful information about the paleoenvironment,behavior and track taphonomy.Eight mostly parallel to sub parallel trackway segments(T1–T8)were registered on a truncation surface in the Lower Cretaceous Luohe Formation of Shaanxi Province.These attest to the passage of several bipeds,probably all theropods,in a paleo-contour-parallel,south-north direction in an arid setting.Quality of preservation in these trackways is poor,but notably superior in two additional trackways(T9–T10)on a foreset surface.Trackway T9 indicates a didactyl trackmaker,probably a deinonychosaurian,heading north to south.This is the 13th report of deinonychosaurian tracks from the Lower Cretaceous of China.If any or all the eight south-north oriented trackway segments represent continuations of other segments in the same trackways,the total number of individual trackmakers heading in this direction may have been as lowas three.Although the trackway pattern and sedimentological evidence could indicate a physically controlled pathway influencing the direction taken by these trackmakers,the possibility that the trackways also represented small social or gregarious group cannot be ruled out.  相似文献   

7.
Twelve trackways of ornithopods from Lower Cretaceous lacustrine margin deposits of the Jindong Formation represent new dinosaur trackways described from Korea. The site, discovered during highway construction, was rescued by removing the most important trackways to the Korean Natural Heritage Center in Daejeon, where they are on permanent display. The new ichnotaxon Ornithopodichnus masanensis ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov. is recognized as a distinctive robust tridactyl track, slightly wider than long (l/w ratio = 0.91), with positive (inward) rotation. The toe prints are very thick, broad and U-shaped, resulting in a trefoil outline with a smoothly rounded hind margin. Digit III is short and projects anteriorly much less than digit II and IV (= weak mesaxony). Divarication of digits II-IV is about 70° with interdigital angle II-III larger than III-IV. Trackway width is narrow and the stride length/track length ratio is about 4.2–4.6. The Ornithopodichnus trackways evidently represent gregarious blunt-toed Iguanodon-like bipedal ornithopods, although poorly preserved manus traces are discerned in a few trackways. Ornithopodichnus is distinct from other well known iguanodontid tracks that display much stronger mesaxony and indicates a polarity in ornithopod foot morphology that can be verified by reference to known foot skeletons.  相似文献   

8.
A previously unknown and morphologically distinct pentadactyl mammal track was recovered from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Laramie Formation at the Fossil Trace site, a National Natural Landmark which is the type locality for Schadipes crypticus, the only named mammal track known from North America. The track is different, and larger than S. crypticus, and thus is evidence of a diversity of mammal trackmakers at this site. Although Cretaceous mammal tracks are very rare, preliminary indications are that those currently known are all morphologically distinct and therefore indicative of a global diversity of different trackmakers, as the body fossil record suggests. Lack of well-preserved mammal trackways with morphologically distinct manus and pes footprints hampers efforts to name diagnostic ichnotaxa.  相似文献   

9.
Upper Triassic and Middle Jurassic strata of the Xichang Basin in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, yielded important dinosaur ichnofossils. From the Xujiahe Formation of the Yiguojiao tracksite, we report a Late Triassic footprint assemblage in China and the first discovery of diagnostic Triassic sauropodomorph tracks in this region. The tracks share a number of features in common with the ichnogenera Eosauropus(Late Triassic) and Liujianpus(Early Jurassic). The neighboring Bingtu tracksite is stratigraphically younger(Shaximiao Formation, Middle Jurassic) and preserves small tridactyl theropod tracks that represent the first occurrence of the ichnotaxon Carmelopodus in China and Asia. While these tracks are morphologically comparable to those from the Middle Jurassic type locality in North America, the specimens from China show the proximal margin of the digit IV impression in a more cranial position, which may indicate a trackmaker with a relatively short metatarsal IV. In addition to the skeletal record, the Carmelopodus footprints document the presence of small theropods in the dinosaur fauna of the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation.  相似文献   

10.
11.
Two ichnogenus of “large-sized” ornithopods are found from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Kitadani Formation in central Japan. Caririchnium isp. is characterized by the longer pes print than its width with strong mesaxony. Amblydactylus isp. is characterized by the wider pes print than its length with weak mesaxony. In the northern hemisphere, Caririchnium-type footprints are known from the Berriasian–Cenomanian strata, whereas Amblydactylus-type footprints are known from the Barremian–Maastrichtian strata. It is consistent with the temporal and geographic distribution of non-hadrosauroid iguanodontians and basal hadrosauroids. It suggests that footprint length-width ratio and mesaxony are important factors to indicate trackmakers (basal iguanodontian or hadrosauroid). Two “large-sized” ornithopod ichnogenus from the Kitadani Formation is also consistent with two iguanodontians from same site. It indicates a high diversity of the Kitadani ichnofauna and its importance to elucidate the ecosystem of the Kitadani Formation.  相似文献   

12.
Newly discovered tracks of a large quadrupedal ornithopod and a theropod with trail trace, and a bird track from the Cretaceous Saniri Formation of Yeongdong area are described. One ornithopod trackway is very unusual in having large (length width ∼15 and >15 cm respectively) clover-leaf-like manus tracks situated anteromedial to the pes tracks with atypical negative, inward rotation of 45°. Ornithopod pes tracks are quadripartite with three separated, elongate-oval, nearly parallel sided, wide digit impressions and a separate suboval heel impression (mean length and width about 41 and 36 cm respectively: l/w ratio 1.13). Manus track morphotypes are a clover-leaf-shaped configuration of three digit impressions, representing digits II–IV, in triangular configuration and registered just in front of (anteromedial to) pes track digits II and III. The pes morphotype is typical of Caririchnium, but the manus morphotype is quite distinct from previously described ichnotaxa, thus justifying a new ichnotaxon: Caririchnium yeondongensis ichnosp. nov., probably representing a facultatively-quadrupedal Iguanodon-like trackmaker.Theropod tracks are composed of three tapered pes digit impressions with interdigital angles between digits II and IV 45°. Length and width about 22.8 cm and 15.5 cm, respectively. Pace, stride, and pace angles are about 51 cm, 101 cm, and 170°, respectively. Theropod tracks are characteristically associated with a nearly continuous tail trace, which is up to 360 cm in length, 4.5 to 6 cm in width, and broad “U” shaped in cross section. Expulsion rims and dragging striae occur intermittently. In addition, dinosaur skin impressions, poorly preserved large sauropod tracks, a bird track, invertebrate and plant fossils are found from the lake margin deposits also containing rain drop impressions and desiccation cracks. Dinosaur tracks of the Yeongdong area represent the oldest (Valanginian-Hauterivian) dinosaur tracks of Korea.  相似文献   

13.
Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sedimentary layers are represented in the Brazilian Paraná Basin by the fluvio–aeolian Guará Formation and the Botucatu Formation palaeoerg, respectively, overlapped by the volcanic Serra Geral Formation. In Uruguay, the corresponding sedimentary units are named Batoví and Rivera Members (both from the Tacuarembó Formation), and the lava flows constitute the Arapey Formation (also in Paraná Basin). Despite the lack of body fossils in the mentioned Brazilian formations, Guará/Batoví dinosaur fauna is composed of theropod, ornithopod and wide–gauge sauropod tracks and isolated footprints, as well as theropod teeth. In turn, the Botucatu/Rivera dinosaur fauna is represented by theropod and ornithopod ichnofossils smaller than those from the underlying units. The analysis of these dinosaur ichnological records and comparisons with other global Mesozoic ichnofauna indicates that there is a size reduction in dinosaur fauna in the more arid Botucatu/Rivera environment, which is dominated by aeolian dunes. The absence of sauropod trackways in the Botucatu Sandstone fits with the increasingly arid conditions because it is difficult for heavy animals to walk on sandy dunes, as well as to obtain the required amount of food resources. This comparison between the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous dinosaur fauna in south Brazil and Uruguay demonstrates the influence of aridization on the size of animals occupying each habitat.  相似文献   

14.
Trackways can provide unique insight to animals locomotion through quantitative analysis of variation in track morphology. Long trackways additionally permit the study of trackmaker foot anatomy, providing more insight on limb kinematics. In this paper we have restudied the extensive tracksite at Barranco de La Canal-1 (Lower Cretaceous, La Rioja, NW Spain) focussing on a 25-m-long dinosaur (ornithopod) trackway that was noted by an earlier study (Casanovas et al., 1995; Pérez-Lorente, 2003) to display an irregular pace pattern. This asymmetric gait has been quantified and photogrammetric models undertaken for each track, thus revealing distinct differences between the right and the left tracks, particularly in the relative position of the lateral digits II–IV with respect to the central digit III. Given that the substrate at this site is homogenous, the consistent repetition of the collected morphological data suggests that differences recorded between the right and the left tracks can be linked to the foot anatomy, but more interestingly, to an injury or pathology on left digit II. We suggest that the abnormal condition registered in digit II impression of the left pes can be linked to the statistically significant limping behaviour of the trackmaker. Furthermore, the abnormal condition registered did not affect the dinosaur's speed.  相似文献   

15.
An incomplete dinosaur skeleton,including a partial skull,recently discovered from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of Yunnan,China,is here reported.Apart from its small size,little anatomical evidence supports,a priori,the non-adult status of this new sauropodomorph specimen but osteohistological analyses suggest that it is a fast-growing juvenile. This specimen represents only the second occurrence of a juvenile non-sauropodan sauropodomorph in the Lufeng Basin. The anatomy of the new specimen does not match that of other Lower Jurassic immature specimens;although cranial material is preserved,it does not display the diagnostic characters of early sauropodomorphs from the same horizon,namely Lufengosaurus,Yizhousaurus and Yunnanosaurus.Our phylogenetic analysis places the new specimen in a position relatively distant from other Chinese sauropodomorphs,and corroborates the anatomical evidence showing it is not referable to any known species already excavated in Yunnan.This result is interpreted with caution considering that ontogeny affects phylogenetic reconstruction.A thorough comparison with adult forms,taking into account ontogeny-related characters,suggests that this Lufeng juvenile might represent a previously unknown species of early sauropodomorph.  相似文献   

16.
Eighty two dinosaur trackways were newly discovered in Upper Cretaceous lacustrine deposits on islands in the vicinity of Yeosu, Korea. Most dinosaur tracks occur in marginal lake deposits with polygonal desiccation cracks. The dinosaur tracks at the Yeosu site include 65 ornithopod trackways, 16 theropod trackways and one sauropod trackway. The prevalence of ornithopod tracks and the limited occurrence of sauropod tracks at the Yeosu site evidently reflect decreased sauropod diversity in the Upper Cretaceous. All ornithopod trackways represent bipeds, and most of the ornithopod tracks are similar to Caririchnium from other sites of the Korean peninsula. All fossil wood specimens collected in the study area represent conifers (three species of cupressaceous and two species of taxodiaceous conifers, and a new species) except for one, which is a discotyledon. It is thus inferred that the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula was primarily covered with mesic forests with taxodiaceous trees during the Late Cretaceous. The K–Ar age of the Yeosu tracksite is determined as 81–65 Ma (Camapnian to Maastrichtian). It indicates that the Yeosu track site contains the last records of dinosaurs living in Asia. Consequently, semi-arid palaeoclimatic conditions, together with a large lake as a persistent water source and rich vegetation of gymnosperm trees as food, resulted in the preservation of abundant dinosaur tracks in the Upper Cretaceous on the Korean Peninsula.  相似文献   

17.
Three-dimensional tracks provide unique insights into the locomotor mechanics of their track makers. An isolated, large hadrosauriform print attributable to Caririchnium lotus from the “mid”-Cretaceous Lotus track site (Jiaguan Formation) in China permits reconstruction of the footfall, weight-bearing, and kick-off phases of the step cycle. Large-scale modifications of the pes during the step cycle indicate C. lotus trackmakers were capable of locomotory modifications in response to substrate consistency beyond the “expected” shift between bipedal and quadrupedal postures. An unusual curvature to the trace of one of the outer digits indicates substantial transverse mobility. The remaining digits demonstrate lesser degrees of transverse movement accompanied by extension of the digits during footfall. The absence of overprinted scale-scratch marks and toe drags are consistent with a vertical kick-off of the pes and concomitant flexion of the digits. This track suggests that pedal mobility in C. lotus track makers was greater than previously suspected and has implications for reconstructions of hadrosauriform locomotion.  相似文献   

18.
The Bajiu tracksite exposed on a fine sandstone surface at the top of the Feitianshan Formation, close the contact with the overlying Xiaoba Formation, reveals a saurischian dominated ichnofauna consisting of four sauropod and at least eight theropod trackways. The sauropod trackways display a medium-wide gauge pattern characteristic of titanosauriforms, while the theropod trackways can be subdivided into two distinct morphotypes. One is similar to the ichnogenera Eubrontes and Megalosauripus, the other (cf. Dromaeopodus) appears to represent a functionally didactyl dromaeosaur where pedal digit II is represented only by an oval basal pad. A single swim track is possibly attributable to a turtle or crocodylian. Such sauropod-theropod dominated ichnofaunas are consistently typical of the red-bed tracksites in the region and useful for characterizing a fauna that is otherwise poorly known from body fossils. The stratigraphic position and late occurrence of the (typical Jurassic) Eubrontes-Megalosauripus morphotype is well known from other Cretaceous localities in China and seems to reflect a peculiarity in the theropod faunas of East Asia.  相似文献   

19.
The ichnofauna of the Woodbine Formation (Cenomanian), Denton County, Texas includes bird and dinosaur tracks. A new bird trackway,Magnoavipes loweiichnogen. et ichnosp. nov., appears to represent the largest bird tracks known from the Mesozoic. A theropod trackway,Fuscinapedis woodbinensisichnogen. et ichnosp. nov., is characterized by long digits of uniform width and pointed small claws. Six hadrosaurid trackways,Caririchnium protohadrosaurichnosichnosp. nov., are the oldest hadrosaurid tracks associated with skeletal elements. They include one isolated small footprint, a medium sized quadrupedal, and five large bipedal hadrosaurid trackways.  相似文献   

20.
In the 80's, Leonardi treated the presence of a vertebrate ichnological locality from the Barremian Corda Formation, Parnaíba Basin, on the left bank of the Tocantins river, near of the São Domingos town, Itaguatins, State of Tocantins, Brazil. Originally, the record was composed of at least seven in situ trackways, accounting for fifty six tracks. Since 2011, the Hydroelectric Power Plant do Estreito has begun to work, causing the development of a water reservoir 160 km upstream to the ichnological site, causing periodic and highly energetic floods over the footprints-bearing level and altering it. The imprints are poorly to moderate preserved, but it is possible to distinguish the general morphology and the spatial arrangement of the footprints. The specimens are represented by pes imprints, mostly circular to subcircular, with no digital and claw impressions. No distinguishable manus imprints are present. The trackways are relative narrow with respect to the size of the tracks, so they are considered into the Parabrontopodus-like category. The São Domingos tracks have been originally assigned to iguanodontid dinosaurs, and posteriorly related to a sauropodian origin. This idea is herein accepted, particularly to a basal sauropod, basal macronarians, or diplodocoids. Up to date, the tracks from the São Domingos locality are the only vertebrate fossil record from the Corda Formation, meaning an important contribution to the Cretaceous ichnofauna from South America.  相似文献   

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