Dinosaur tracks from Mid-Jurassic of Madagascar

[Ben Creisler <bscreisler@yahoo.com>]

From: Ben Creisler
bscreisler@yahoo.com
 
New online paper: 
 
ALEXANDER WAGENSOMMER, MARIANNA LATIANO, GERAUD LEROUX, GIANLUCA CASSANO and 
SIMONE D’ORAZI PORCHETTI (2011)
New dinosaur tracksites from the Middle Jurassic of Madagascar: 
ichnotaxonomical, behavioural and palaeoenvironmental implications.
Palaeontology (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2011.01121.x
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2011.01121.x/abstract
 
Abstract: 
New dinosaur tracksites are described from the Bajocian–Bathonian Bemaraha 
Formation of western Madagascar. Two track-bearing surfaces can be followed 
over a distance of at least 4 km, suggesting the existence of a hitherto 
unrecognized megatracksite. The track assemblage is theropod dominated, but 
sauropod tracks also occur at one site. Qualitative and quantitative analysis 
of the abundant theropod track material suggests that most, if not all, 
theropod footprints are attributable to a single trackmaker and are referred to 
Kayentapus isp. Although this ichnogenus, originally described from the Lower 
Jurassic of North America, has never been recorded from Gondwana nor from the 
Middle Jurassic, track morphology strongly suggests this attribution. 
Palaeogeographical, sedimentological and ichnological data suggest that the 
dinosaur tracks formed in an intertidal to supratidal setting where the 
coastline influenced the preferred walking direction of the
 animals.