The largest theropod track site in Yunnan, China: a footprint assemblage from the Lower Jurassic Fengjiahe Formation

PeerJ

article

Hongqing Li¹  Claire Peyre de Fabrègues¹  Shundong Bi¹  Yi Wang³  Xing Xu⁴ 

[1] Centre for Vertebrate Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan Province;Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania;Yuxi Museum, Yuxi, Yunnan Province;Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences;Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences

关键词: Theropoda;    Grallator;    Kayentapus;    Jurassic;    Lower Jurassic;    Fengjiahe;    Yunnan;    China;    Ichnotaxonomy;    Tracks;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.11788

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

8 cm–<21 cm) resembling Grallator27 cm–<30 cm) identified as Kayentapus xiaohebaensis; and morphotype C, an isolated footprint (39 cm) referred to the ichnogenus Kayentapus. Although footprint shape is influenced by many factors, biotic or abiotic, morphological differences among tracks such as size, divarication angles and proportions imply that at least three different kinds of theropods were visiting this site frequently. Theropod body fossils found in the surrounding area, such as Sinosaurus, turn out to be similar in body size to the projected size estimated from footprint lengths at the track site. In Yunnan, discoveries of theropod body fossils are rare. In that respect, the track record is a useful diversity indicator which can help to encompass theropod diversity patterns. Broadly speaking, large predators (five meters long or more) were uncommon in Early Jurassic ecosystems. Accordingly, large tracks are scarce on the track site, but not absent. Trackmakers of all sizes presumably coexisted in this tropical Jurassic ecosystem, and were regularly drawn to the track site in search of water or food resources.

【 授权许可】

CC BY