Open AccessDinosaur Track from the Jurassic Xiahuayuan Formation of Northern China
Author(s) -
Lida Xing,
Martin G. Lockley,
Zhitao Wang,
Jianjun Li,
W. Scott Persons,
Bolin Tong,
Chang Liu
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
biosis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2708-0072
pISSN - 2707-9783
DOI - 10.37819/biosis.003.01.0168
Subject(s) - cretaceous , paleontology , china , geology , track (disk drive) , trace fossil , geography , archaeology , computer science , operating system
An isolated but moderately well-preserved theropod track from the coal-bearing strata of the Zhangjiakou City region of Hebei Province was reported to have originated from the Xiahuayuan Formation, which is considered Middle Jurassic in age. Although the track has a wide divarication angle and length-width ratio reminiscent of Cretaceous tracks like Magnoavipes, it would be speculative to apply this Identification based on a single track. Therefore, it is considered most likely to be a preservational variant of Kayentapus, in which the heel trace is lacking. Kayentapus is widely known from the Lower Jurassic of China. This is the first report of a track or any vertebrate fossil from the Middle Jurassic of this region of Hebei Province, China.