New dinosaur tracks from Korea, Ornithopodichnus masanensis ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov. (Jindong Formation, Lower Cretaceous): implications for polarities in ornithopod foot morphology

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.     

First report of turtle tracks from the Lower Cretaceous of Korea

A partial trackway of a turtle from the Jinju Formation (Sindong Group) is the first report of Mesozoic turtle tracks from Korea and the first report of traces of an aquatic tetrapod from Korea. Six tracks show a partial trackway configuration inferred to represent a partially buoyant trackmaker, possibly engaged in “bottom walking” behavior. Although turtle tracks often co-occur with crocodylian tracks in Cretaceous coastal plain facies in other regions, especially North America, to date there are no such co-occurrences in east Asia. This suggests that in Asia paleoenvironments suitable for turtles were quite widespread, but paleoenvironments were not suitable for crocodylians.     

重庆綦江白垩系夹关组恐龙足迹群沉积环境

重庆綦江莲花保寨保存有大量以莲花卡利尔足迹为主的恐龙足迹,研究其沉积环境对恢复当时恐龙动物群的生活环境有着十分重要的意义。运用岩石学、沉积学和古生物学方法,通过岩石学特征、沉积构造特征、粒度分布特征等分析重庆綦江莲花保寨恐龙足迹群的沉积环境,认为当时的沉积环境为曲流河沉积,恐龙足迹的赋存层位为曲流河边滩和河漫滩环境。     

Theropod assemblages and a new ichnotaxon Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp. nov. from the Jiaguan Formation,Lower Cretaceous of Guizhou Province,China

A newly discovered Jiaguan Formation(Lower Cretaceous) tracksite from the Linjiang region of Guizhou Province, China, reveals the first example of a Cretaceous track morphotype attributable to the non-avian theropod ichnogenus Gigandipus, here named Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp nov. The theropod dominated locality also reveals the second report of the avian theropod ichnogenus Wupus, one of the largest avian traces currently known from the Lower Cretaceous. The Linjiang site provides evidence to support previous interpretations of a distinctive Lower Cretaceous theropod-dominated ichnofauna that was widespread in China and East Asia and highlights the similarity between Lower Cretaceous theropod ichnotaxa in East Asia and those found in the Lower Jurassic both in East Asia and elsewhere. These similarities in turn create various ichnotaxonomic challenges familiar to researchers working on theropod tracks, and we recommend caution in the naming of new theropod ichnotaxa at the ichnogenus level.     

Preservation of dinosaur tracks induced by microbial mats in the Sousa Basin (Lower Cretaceous), Brazil

Dinosaur footprints and tracks in the Sousa Basin (Lower Cretaceous, Brazil) occur in at least 37 localities, in distinct stratigraphic positions. Footprints are rare in the Antenor Navarro (lower) and Rio Piranhas (upper) formations, where lithofacies analyses point to sedimentation in ancient alluvial fan to fluvial braided palaeoenvironments. In the Sousa Formation, the generally finer grain sized sediments rendered them more suitable for footprint preservation, where lithofacies analyses point to sedimentation in warm, small/shallow and temporary lakes, swamps and meandering fluvial palaeoenvironments. Microbially induced sedimentary structures are observed in many of the fine-grained lithofacies where dinosaur tracks are also found, and the large number of these tracks in the Sousa Basin (particularly in the Sousa Formation, Lower Cretaceous) may be related to the role of the mats in their preservation. Observations on recent microbial mats show that footprint morphology is related to the mat thickness and to the water content of the mat and the underlying sediment. In dry mats, generally poorly defined or no footprints are produced, while in saturated ones the imprints are well-defined, sometimes with well-defined displacement rims. The formation of well-defined displacement rims around the prints of large dinosaurs occurs in thick, plastic, moist to water-unsaturated microbial mats on top of moist to water-unsaturated sediment. These aspects are commonly observed in the tracks of the Passagem das Pedras site in the Sousa Basin. The footprint consolidation and its early lithification probably occurred due the existence of microbial mats that allowed a more cohesive substrate, preventing the footprints from erosion. The sediments were initially stabilized by early cementation and by the mat fabric over the tracks. Successive flooding, and subsequent sediment influx allowed the large number of layers with dinosaur tracks and sedimentary structures.     

Mid-Cretaceous dinosaur track assemblage from the Tongfosi Formation of China: Comparison with the track assemblage of South Korea

A Yanji Basin tracksite in the Cretaceous Tongfosi Formation in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province was reinvestigated twenty years after the original study.The re-examination confirms the presence of tracks tentatively referred to ornithopods and theropod tracks including several not previously reported. In addition to the main track-bearing level, a second footprint horizon was identified from which a probable ornithopod track was collected. Some of the formerly identified tracks were documented using photogrammetry, whereas others that had been collected, eroded, buried or obscured by dense vegetation. The age of the track-bearing beds is inferred to be late Albian to early Cenomanian. Comparison with track-bearing units of the same age in Shandong, China, and Korea indicated quite different compositions of track assemblages. In the case of the Korean sites the differences may be facies related. While the Korean ichnofauna is characterized by the co-occurrence of ornithopod, sauropod and tridactyl theropod tracks with didactyl dromaeosaurid, Minisauripus (small theropod), pterosaur and avian tracks, the latter four are absent in the Tongfosi assemblage. This could reflect a restricted environment being not favourable for activities of these trackmakers or simply a preservational bias.     

New ornithopod footprints from the Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Formation,Fukui, Japan: Ichnotaxonomical implications

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.     

中国新沂马陵山白垩纪恐龙足迹——从虎到肉食龙及由传说至古生物学

江苏省新沂市马陵山地区的4个神秘的印记,传统上被解释为“李存孝打虎处”的“虎爪印”和“人足迹”,重新将其解释为大盛群田家楼组恐龙足迹。这些足迹中只有一个最深的“虎爪印”保存了可识别的趾印,表明它是一个有着后内侧拇趾印的兽脚类恐龙左足迹,是一道单步约50cm的直线行迹的一部分;另一种解释是该足迹为小型蜥脚类恐龙的右后足迹,形成行迹的右侧部分,其左侧部分没有保存。马陵山足迹点提供了恐龙足迹如何影响中国民间传说的另一个案例。     

石花形恐龙幻迹：中国重庆綦江区下白垩统夹关组的罕见遗迹化石

在中国重庆綦江区虎山足迹点发现了2个大型恐龙天然足模化石,化石赋存于砂质富集的夹关组的一悬崖底面。它们属于罕见的幻迹,同类足迹也发现于韩国和北美白垩系足迹点。放射状、同心及半脆性形变使这些幻迹具有切断状或网状外观,有时呈现出类似裂断花或菜花的形态。这正是当地“石头开花”民间传说的来源。这些特征表明,造迹者必然是恐龙,同时也清晰地展现了其外形态学特征。     

中国新沂马陵山白垩纪恐龙足迹——从虎到肉食龙及由传说至古生物学（英文）

江苏省新沂市马陵山地区的4个神秘的印记,传统上被解释为“李存孝打虎处”的“虎爪印”和“人足迹”,重新将其解释为大盛群田家楼组恐龙足迹。这些足迹中只有一个最深的“虎爪印”保存了可识别的趾印,表明它是一个有着后内侧拇趾印的兽脚类恐龙左足迹,是一道单步约50cm的直线行迹的一部分;另一种解释是该足迹为小型蜥脚类恐龙的右后足迹,形成行迹的右侧部分,其左侧部分没有保存。马陵山足迹点提供了恐龙足迹如何影响中国民间传说的另一个案例。     

Dinosaur tracks in the Kokorkom Desert,Candeleros Formation (Cenomanian,Upper Cretaceous), Patagonia Argentina: Implications for deformation structures in dune fields

The Kokorkom desert extended over an area of 826 km² in the central-west sector of Neuquén and Río Negro provinces along the area of the backbulge basin within the Andean Foreland basin in the Neuquén Basin. Its deposits constitute the middle-upper section of the Candeleros Formation (Cenomanian) and reach approximately 130 m thick. Tracks are found on wet and dry interdune and within draa slipface deposits. They constitute biogenic deformation structures characterized by folded-up and/or brecciated sandstone levels formed under dry and/or wet substrate conditions with passive filling. The degree of preservation varies, but the identification of digit impression suggests that they were produced by theropods or iguanodontians.     

A reassessment of large theropod dinosaur tracks from the mid-Cretaceous (late Albian-Cenomanian) Winton Formation of Lark Quarry, central-western Queensland, Australia: A case for mistaken identity

Multivariate analysis is used to differentiate shape variations between ichnites of theropod and ornithopod dinosaurs. Tracks of an alleged theropod cf. Tyrannosauropus from the mid-Cretaceous (late Albian-Cenomanian) Winton Formation of Lark Quarry, central-western Queensland, Australia were examined and foot shape ratios calculated. Multivariate analysis of these shape variables indicates this track-maker was an ornithopod dinosaur. A strong morphological similarity exists between the Lark Quarry ichnites and those of the iguanodontian ichnotaxon Amblydactylus gethingi. Considering the grade of ornithopod this ichnogenus is thought to represent (a non-hadrosaurid styracosternan) and the age and geography of Lark Quarry, we suggest that the track-maker may have been a dinosaur similar to Muttaburrasaurus langdoni.     

Saurischian track assemblages from the Lower Cretaceous Shenhuangshan Formation in the Yuanma Basin,Southern China

Cretaceous dinosaur tracks from Hunan Province are historically significant as the basis for three ichnotaxa: Xiangxipus chenxiensis, Xiangxipus youngi, and Hunanpus jiuquwanensis all representing theropodan tracks, described from a single site in 1982. Although the type locality has since been destroyed, the type specimen and replicas remained available for restudy in 2006, when paratype Hunanpus tracks and sauropod footprints were described from a second, nearby locality. Material from both localities is here re-described in detail. It is proposed that while Xiangxipus chenxiensis can be regarded as a distinct ichnospecies, probably representing an ornithomimid trackmaker, Xiangxipus youngi cannot be accommodated in the same ichnogenus. We consider it similar to the ichnogenus Wupus from the Lower Cretaceous of Sichuan Province, and therefore of possible avian affinity. We also find no justification for regarding Hunanpus jiuquwanensis as generically distinct from the widespread ichnogenus Grallator, and therefore rename it Grallator jiuquwanensis comb. nov. The Hunan track record is generally consistent with the sparse record of theropod skeletal remains in the province, but adds evidence of sauropods that was previously lacking.     

First report of lacertiform (lizard) tracks from the Cretaceous of Asia

The well-preserved trackway of a lacertiform, lizard-like trackmaker from the Haman Formation (Cretaceous) of Korea is described as Neosauroides koreaensis ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov. This is the only example of a Cretaceous lacertiform or lizard-like trackway currently known in the global track record. Although lacertiform trackways, mostly assigned to the ichnogenus Rhynchosauroides, are common in the global Triassic, they are almost entirely absent in the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Moreover, ichnological classification criteria allow that Neosauroides is morphologically distinct from Rhynchosauroides at the genus level, and more like the tracks of the extant lizard Sceloporus. The reasons for the conspicuous lack of post-Triassic occurrences are not certain, but not due to a post-Triassic lack of potential lizard trackmakers. Thus, the preservation biases are likely due to paleobiological factors such as trackmaker ecology and paleoenvironmental preference.     

Pes shape variation in an ornithopod dinosaur trackway (Lower Cretaceous,NW Spain): New evidence of an antalgic gait in the fossil track record

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.     

豫西栾川地区晚白垩世秋扒组一新的驰龙类化石

根据以下特征，建立驰龙类恐龙一新属新种——河南栾川盗龙（Luanchuanraptor henartens／sgen．et sp．nov）：牙齿后缘每5mm有24个小锯齿；前部背椎椎体具有小的椎体侧孔；后部脉弧的前后突短且为三分支；最后部的尾椎体的椎体前突拉长且包裹与其相邻的前部椎体，两椎体前突之间夹有低的刀片状的神经棘；乌喙骨的内面强烈凹陷；肱骨骨干直，肱骨三角脊几乎占肱骨长度的前部一半。河南栾川盗龙代表除在亚洲戈壁地区及中国东北地区之外发现的第一件驰龙类化石标本。     

豫西栾川地区晚白垩世秋扒组——新的驰龙类化石(英文)

根据以下特征,建立驰龙类恐龙一新属新种——河南栾川盗龙(Luanchuanraptor henanensisgen.etsp.nov):牙齿后缘每5mm有24个小锯齿;前部背椎椎体具有小的椎体侧孔;后部脉弧的前后突短且为三分支;最后部的尾椎体的椎体前突拉长且包裹与其相邻的前部椎体,两椎体前突之间夹有低的刀片状的神经棘;乌喙骨的内面强烈凹陷;肱骨骨干直,肱骨三角脊几乎占肱骨长度的前部一半。河南栾川盗龙代表除在亚洲戈壁地区及中国东北地区之外发现的第一件驰龙类化石标本。     

New Aetheogrammatidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation,China

Two new genera and three new species of the Mesozoic family Aeotheogrammatidae are described from the Lower Cretaceous of Yixian Formation (Liaoning Province, China): Cyclicogramma rotundum gen. et sp. nov. and Aetheogramma bistriatum sp. nov. from Huangbanjigou, and Curtogramma ovatum gen. et sp. nov. from Dawangzhangzi. The hind wing of Cyclicogramma rotundum gen. et sp. nov. differs from that of other species by its smaller size, its overall shape, RP bearing only two oblique radial branches, and its configurations of CuP, AA1, and AA2. Aetheogramma bistriatum sp. nov. is closely related to A. speciosum Ren and Engel, 2008, but distinguished from the latter by its distinctive configuration of RP1, and the narrower and longer AA2 space in the hind wing. Curtogramma ovatum gen. et sp. nov. is distinguished from all other species of the family by the forewing with M forking very far from the wing base.     

Microbially-induced sedimentary wrinkle structures and possible impact of microbial mats for the enhanced preservation of dinosaur tracks from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation near Qijiang (Chongqing,China)

Recently, a paleosurface with microbially-induced sedimentary wrinkle structures that are associated with abundant, well-preserved, iguanodon-type, tridactyl tracks has been documented at the Lotus tracksite near Qijiang (Chongqing, China) in fluvial deposits of the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation. Two different wrinkle structure types are identified and described from a macroscopic point of view and also by applying microstructure analysis with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and other high-resolution instruments, that detected sheath-like and globular organic matter and thus confirm the microbial origin of the observed wrinkle structures. A model for the formation of the two microbial mat induced wrinkle structure types and associated preservation of dinosaur tracks is proposed. Finally, some human footprints were left in comparable modern environments covered with a thin microbial mat, and they are used as a modern analog in order to better understand the track formation and preservation mechanisms of the dinosaur tracks of the Lotus tracksite.     

记广东南雄盆地上白垩统主田组鸟脚类足迹及中国已命名的大型鸟脚类足迹的属级新观察

记述了广东省南雄盆地上白垩统主田组3组恐龙行迹,由杨梅坑足迹点的足迹命名了南雄鸭嘴龙足迹（Hadrosauropodus nanxiongensis ichnosp. nov.）一新种;古市足迹点的足迹归入鸭嘴龙足迹一未定种（Hadrosauropodus isp.）。这是中国鸭嘴龙足迹属的首次描述,将该足迹的分布从北美拓展至中国,并为南雄盆地存在大型的鸭嘴龙提供了新的化石证据。还整理了中国已描述的大型鸟脚类足迹：中国足迹（Sinoichnites）被定为非正式的塑模标本;扬子足印（Yangtzepus）被归入兽脚类足迹;禽龙足迹（Iguanodonopus）被认为是裸名,归入禽龙足迹（Iguanodontipus）;嘉荫足迹（Jiayinosauropus）增加了新材料并得以具体描述;内乡足迹（Neixiang footprint）得以重新描述。