bcreisler@gmail.com
New issue of open access journal about tetrapod tracks in Italy up through the Pleistocene.
Journal of Mediterranean Earth Science 12 (2020)
Special volume-Tetrapod ichnology in Italy: the state of the art
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Paleozoic and Mesozoic tetrapod tracks:
The tetrapod footprints from the Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) of Italy come from the late Moscovian San Giorgio Formation of Sardinia and the early Ghzelian Corona Formation of the Carnian Alps. They include exclusively anamniote tracks: the ichnogenera Batrachichnus and Limnopus and tetrapod tracks indet. similar to Matthewichnus. The occurrence of anamniote tracks may have a marked palaeoecological meaning, since these tetrapods were tied to water for reproduction. These tracks represent the oldest record of tetrapods from Italy (either from trace fossils and skeletons) and the oldest Italian record of these ichnogenera. Despite the fragmentary material and the few known localities, the Pennsylvanian of Italy has a noteworthy potential for further prospecting, because of the relatively good preservation and the stratigraphy of the track-bearing formations. The Italian ichnoassociation could be the key for the understanding of the Notalacerta and Dromopus footprint biochrons in the Carboniferous of W Europe, which is less extensively known than the North American record.
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Giuseppe Santi, Lorenzo Marchetti, Paolo Schirolli & Ausonio Ronchi (2020)
The Early Permian tetrapod ichnoassociation from Italy.
pdf title:
The Cisuralian tetrapod ichnoassociation from Italy: from historical findings to a standard reference status.Â
Free pdf:
https://ojs.uniroma1.it/index.php/jmes/article/view/17064/16324The ÂCisuralian tetrapod ichnoassociation from Italy is long known, in fact it is the first described from the Southern Alps. [Early Permian tetrapod ichnoassociation from Italy is long known, in fact it is the first described from this area.] After some pioneering works in the 19th century, several new works and discoveries were done starting from the second half of the 20th century until nowadays. The Early Permian tetrapod ichnoassociation from Italy is characterized by abundant and diverse reptile tracks (Dromopus, Erpetopus, Hylodichnus, Merifontichnus and Varanopus), uncommon anamniote tracks (Amphisauropus, Batrachichnus and Limnopus) and very rare synpsid tracks (cf. Dimetropus). The bulk of discoveries is located Âin the central Southern Alps, in the Orobic and Collio basins, and in minor part in the Athesian District. These basins include a well-preserved and diverse ichnoassociation that is central in tetrapod footprint biostratigraphy and in the definition of the late Cisuralian reptile radiation inferred from the footprint record, well calibrated by several and recent radiometric dates that constrained the age of the footprint-bearing units. The new findings from NW Sardinia include to-date a smaller late Kungurian?-Roadian ichnoassociation, that however deserves great attention because of the possible biostratigraphic implications and the unusual co-occurrence with tetrapod remains
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Lorenzo Marchetti, Paola Ceoloni, Giuseppe Leonardi, Francesco Massari, Paolo Mietto, Eva Sacchi & Mara Valentini (2020)
The Late Permian tetrapod ichnoassociation from Italy.
pdf title:
The Lopingian tetrapod ichnoassociation from Italy, a key for the understanding of low-latitude faunas before the end-Permian crisis.
The tetrapod footprints from the Lopingian of Italy [The tetrapod footprints from the Late Permian of Italy] are worldwide known and were the subject of a number of studies. They come mostly from the Dolomites and especially from the Bletterbach gorge, other occurrences are known from the Venetian Prealps and the Carnian Alps. The track-bearing unit is the alluvial and marginal marine Arenaria di Val Gardena Formation, deposited under a semi-arid climate during the late Lopingian. In the last comprehensive revision, the tetrapod ichnoassociation includes abundant and diverse eureptile tracks (cf. Dromopus, Rhynchosauroides, Paradoxichnium, cf. Protochirotherium), abundant parareptile tracks (Procolophonichnium, Pachypes), uncommon but diverse therapsid tracks (Capitosauroides, Dicynodontipus, Dolomitipes) and rare anamniote tracks (cf. Batrachichnus). The occurrence of further ichnotaxa, such as Contiichnus and Merifontichnus, is currently debated. This is the most abundant, diverse and best-preserved tetrapod ichnoassociation of the Late Permian all over the world, thus it is a reference for tetrapod ichnotaxonomy. It is characterized by a strong Triassic affinity and includes the earliest evidence of an archosauriform radiation and some of the earliest clues of parasagittal locomotion. This low-latitude tetrapod ichnoassociation is similar to contemporary faunas from mid- and high-palaeolatitudes, but it seems to be more diverse, thus suggesting higher origination rates and lower extinction rates. In tetrapod footprint biochronology, it is currently the reference for the Bletterbach Ichnofaunal Unit and the Paradoxichnium tetrapod footprint biochron. Also, it may include the base of the Protochirotherium tetrapod footprint biochron.
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Paolo Mietto, Marco Avanzini, Matteo Belvedere, Massimo Bernardi, Fabio Marco Dalla Vecchia, Simone D'Orazi Porchetti, Piero Gianolla & Fabio Massimo Petti (2020)
Triassic tetrapod ichnofossils from Italy: the state of the art.
Journal of Mediterranean Earth Science 12: 83-136
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3304/jmes.2020.17066https://ojs.uniroma1.it/index.php/jmes/article/view/17066
We provided here the most complete census of the Italian Triassic tetrapod ichnosites ever published based on an extensive literature review, integrated with previously unpublished data. Most ichnosites are located in the Southern Alps but track-bearing localities are also described in the Western Alps and in Northern Apennines. The stratigraphic distribution of tetrapod footprints can be framed in two macro-sets.
A first set ranges from the late Early Triassic (Olenekian) to the Middle Triassic (Late Anisian, Illyrian) where ichnoassociations are dominated by lizard-like footprints (e.g. Rhynchosauroides isp.) with gradual increase through time of footprints referable to crurotarsal archosaurs (e.g. chirotheriids).
After a hiatus ranging up to the basal part of the Carnian (basal Julian), a second set of ichnoassociations spreads the whole Late Triassic. This second set is dominated by crurotarsal footprints from its base but, in correspondence with the abrupt global climate of the Carnian Pluvial Episode, shows a marked shift to dinosaur-footprints dominance.
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Free pdf:
https://ojs.uniroma1.it/index.php/jmes/article/view/17067/16327This article reports the state of the art of research on the Jurassic tetrapod footprints from Italy. All the sites discovered so far are characterized by dinosaur footprints and located in the Southern Alps (Northeastern Italy, Veneto, Trentino Alto-Adige) with the exception of the Mattinata tracksite (Southern Italy, Gargano Promontory, Apulia). The tracksites from the Southern Alps belong to four distinct stratigraphic horizons of the Lower Jurassic Calcari Grigi Group whereas the Mattinata track-bearing blocks are doubtfully assigned to the Upper Jurassic Sannicandro Formation (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian).
For each site information is provided on the geographical and geological setting, age, ichnotaxonomy and possible trackmakers. The history of the discoveries, the evolution of the ichnological knowledge and the study techniques adopted through time are also described.
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Fabio Massimo Petti, Matteo Antonelli, Paolo Citton, Nino Mariotti, Marco Petruzzelli, Johannes Pignatti, Simone D'Orazi Porchetti, Marco Romano, Eva Sacchi, Enrico Sacco & Alexander Wagensommer (2020)
Cretaceous tetrapod tracks from Italy: a treasure trove of exceptional biodiversity.
Journal of Mediterranean Earth Sciences 12: 167-191
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3304/jmes.2020.16873https://ojs.uniroma1.it/index.php/jmes/article/view/16873
After about thirty years of investigations, the Cretaceous tetrapod track record from Italy has proved to be a âRosetta Stoneâ for improving our understanding of the palaeogeographical and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the peri-Adriatic area. In the present contribution, we summarize the current knowledge and the different interpretations proposed on the basis of twelve ichnosites from northern, central and southern Italy to date discussed within the scientific community. The tetrapod track record is represented by few ichnosites in the earliest Cretaceous, whereas the bulk of the record has been reported from carbonate platform deposits of the Aptian-Cenomanian interval and, in the Late Cretaceous, from a mega-tracksite in Apulia preserving thousands of dinosaur footprints. On the whole, the ichnological diversity documented by the material indicates a high diversity of producers, among which are sauropods, different theropods, ankylosaurs and hadrosaurs. The persistent occurrence of dinosaur footprints at different stratigraphic levels produced significant questions and constituted a dramatic constraint for the understanding of the palaeogeographical and geodynamical evolution of the Mediterranean area during the Mesozoic.
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