Research on Dinoasur Footprints in Zizhou, Shaanxi Province, China

In recent years, the discoveries of dinosaur footprints have been successively reported from Dianshi Town, Zizhou City, Shaanxi Province. The footprints include the tracks of theropod, ornithopod and sauropod as well. Actually, the dinosaur footprints were found by local inhabitants much earlier in history, but not for science. The slabs bearing the dinosaur footprints were collected for domestic use, such as building stones, millstones, cellar covers, sheepfold fences, windlass holders, etc. This paper is to describe the dinosaur footprints on both sides of three slabs used for cellar covers, sheepfold fences and windlass holders by the local people. 24 dinosaur footprints and 4 trackways have been recognized and all of them belong to theropod. Four kinds of dinosaur footprints are identified, including 1 new ichnogenus and 2 new ichnospecies： （1） Shanbeipus caudatus ichnogen, et ichnosp, nov.; （2） Pengxianpus yulinensis ichnosp, nov.; （3） Eubrontes ichnosp; （4） Kayentapus ichnosp. Dinosaur-footprint-bearing beds were initially identified as the Fuxian Formation of the Lower Jurassic. Multipal dinosaur footprints associated with fragment plant fossils suggest a humid fluviolacustrine environment setting in the Ordos Basin during the early period of the Jurassic.

The first dinosaur tracksite from Xinjiang, NW China (Middle Jurassic Sanjianfang Formation, Turpan Basin)──a preliminary report

A new dinosaur tracksite was discovered in a steeply inclined sandstone layer of the Middle Jurassic Sanjianfang Formation in the Shanshan area of the Turpan Basin. The site is the first record of dinosaur footprints from Xinjiang Province in northwestern China. More than 150 tridactyl theropod dinosaur footprints are preserved as positive hyporeliefs on the lower bedding plane of a fine-grained sandstone body. Most of the footprints are isolated and appear to be randomly distributed. Some show well defined phalangeal pads, heels and rarely indistinct impressions of the distal part of the metatarsus. Two distinct morphotypes are present: a larger type with relatively broad pads shows similarities to Changpeipus and Megalosauripus, and a slightly smaller, slender and gracile type which is similar to Grallator, Eubrontes and Anchisauripus. In both morphotypes, digit III is the longest with a length between 11.4 and 33.6 cm. A single imprint shows prominent scratches, probably formed during slipping of the track maker.

Discovery of the Middle Jurassic Small Theropod Footprints in Eastern Tibet,China

Jurassic continental strata are widely distributed in the Changdu area of eastern Tibet,but very few dinosaur footprints have been reported.Abundant sauropod,ornithopod and theropod footprints preserved in the Wenda site have been found during the recent geological surveys.This is a novel assemblage of the Middle Jurassic dinosaur footprints.These footprint fossils provide a key insight into the members of dinosaur faunas,and the behavior of the trackmakers.Here,the newly discovery small theropod footprints,which are identified as Wildeichnus isp.,are discussed.The analysis of two trackways suggest that these two trackmakers(with a hip height of approx.35 cm,and a body length of approx.1 m)were moving slowly,with an estimated speed of 0.82 and 0.57 m/s,respectively.It is unusual for small theropods to move so slowly,and the present study supports the view that Wildeichnus had a global distribution,but the trackmaker of Wildeichnus is not interpreted as a juvenile Grallator.

The new ichnotaxon Eubrontes nobitai ichnosp. nov. and other saurischian tracks from the Lower Cretaceous of Sichuan Province and a review of Chinese Eubrontes-type tracks

The Jiaguan Formation and the underlying Feitianshan Formation(Lower Cretaceous) in Sichuan Province yield multiple saurischian(theropod–sauropod) dominated ichnofaunas. To date, a moderate diversity of six theropod ichnogenera has been reported, but none of these have been identified at the ichnospecies level. Thus, many morphotypes have common "generic" labels such as Grallator, Eubrontes, cf. Eubrontes or even "EubrontesMegalosauripus" morphotype. These morphotypes are generally more typical of the Jurassic, whereas other more distinctive theropod tracks(Minisauripus and Velociraptorichnus) are restricted to the Cretaceous. The new ichnospecies Eubrontes nobitai ichnosp nov. is distinguished from Jurassic morphotypes based on a very wellpreserved trackway and represents the first-named Eubrontes ichnospecies from the Cretaceous of Asia.