A tyrannosaur trackway at Glenrock,Lance Formation (Maastrichtian), Wyoming

During the Campanian and Maastrichtian ages (86–66 million years ago), tyrannosaurids were the predominant large carnivorous dinosaurs throughout the Northern hemisphere. Despite the abundance of skeletal material, the fossil-footprint record of tyrannosaurids has been limited. Here we report a tyrannosaurid trackway in the Lance Formation, Wyoming. The trackway consists of three sequential tracks on a sandstone surface. Based on the age and size of the footprints, the trackmaker can be identified as either a sub-adult Tyrannosaurus rex or a Nanotyrannus lancensis. The trackway offers a record of a tyrannosaurid pace length, which permits the speed of the trackmaker to be calculated at 4.5–8.0 km/h. This result discounts previous speculation that tyrannosaurid walking speeds were notably slower than those of other large theropods.     

华东白垩纪暴龙类恐龙蛋化石的新发现

华东地区虽然迄今没有发现可靠的暴龙类恐龙骨骼化石,但近年在浙江天台白垩纪赤城山组地层中发现了白垩纪巨型暴龙类恐龙产的西峡巨型长形蛋（Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis）化石。因暴龙类恐龙目前在系统分类上被归入兽足亚目（Theropoda）暴龙超科（Tyrannosauroidea）暴龙科（Tyrannosauridae）,建议巨型长形蛋化石也可采用相应分类方法,归入长形蛋化石亚目（Elongatoolithineae）巨型长形蛋化石超科（Macroelongatoolithoidea）巨型长形蛋化石科（Macroelongatoolithidae）,以便对应研究。这些蛋究竟是哪一种暴龙类恐龙所产？从目前掌握资料分析,在东亚的暴龙类恐龙属种中,冠龙和帝龙个体较小,成年体长分别仅约3m和1．6m,年代更早,分别为约160Ma和130Ma,基本上可以排除在外。鹰龙和分支龙成年体长5m～6m,还不能算巨型暴龙类恐龙。只有体长达10m,甚至更大的特暴龙,似乎最有可能产下这样的巨型长形蛋。但特暴龙迄今已知的化石层位时代为晚白垩世末期的Maastrichtian期（71Ma～65Ma）,而浙江的巨型长形蛋的年代则是晚白垩世早期的Turonian期（约92Ma）。这样就存在两种可能,或许是特暴龙的生存年代要上溯到约92Ma,或许这种巨型长形蛋是另一种目前尚不为人知的,生存年代在约92Ma的巨型暴龙类恐龙所产。此外,根据这些蛋化石的外形特征及其在巢穴里的分布方式可以推测,这种暴龙类恐龙,具有功能双输卵管系统,每次产卵2枚,蛋在巢穴里呈2个一组放射状排列。其蛋壳并非刚性的硬壳,而是具有一定韧性的厚牛皮纸状外壳,在重力作用下变形呈扁的长椭球形。     

First occurrence of tyrannosaurid theropods from the Corral de Enmedio Formation (Upper Cretaceous) Sonora,México

The Cabullona Basin in the state of Sonora, Mexico is becoming recognized due to its diversity of southern Laramidian continental vertebrates, especially dinosaurs. In this study we describe and analyze three theropod teeth (ERNO specimens) that were found isolated and surface collected in the Corral de Enmedio Formation (Cabullona Group, Upper Cretaceous). The three specimens possess similar morphological characteristics that match the ones present in Late Cretaceous Laramidian tyrannosaurids, so they were referred to the Tyrannosauridae, probably belonging to a new unknown taxon. The implementation of statistical and cladistic analyses corroborated their taxonomical assignment. ERNO specimens correspond to the first record of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs in the basal Corral de Enmedio Formation, extending the stratigraphic distribution of these dinosaurs in the Cabullona Basin. Although tyrannosaurids have been previously described in the Cabullona Basin, the ERNO specimens of the Corral de Enmedio Formation seem to be different, because they possess more labiolingually compressed teeth. This new evidence could indicate a higher taxonomic diversity of the tyrannosaurid theropods that were present in the Cabullona Basin, adding more information to the Tyrannosauridae diversification on one of the most southern Laramidian regions during the Late Cretaceous.