Intra-trackway morphological variations due to substrate consistency: the el frontal dinosaur tracksite (lower Cretaceous, Spain)
Razzolini, Novella L. (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Vila Ginestí, Bernat (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Castanera, Diego (Universidad de Zaragoza. Grupo Aragosaurus-IUCA)
Falkingham, Peter L. (University of London. Royal Veterinary College (Hatfield, Regne Unit))
Barco, José Luis (Paleoymás S.L (Saragossa))
Canudo, José Ignacio (Universidad de Zaragoza. Grupo Aragosaurus-IUCA)
Manning, Phillip L. (University of Pennylvania. Department of Earth and Environmental Science)
Galobart, Àngel (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)

Date:	2014
Abstract:	An ichnological and sedimentological study of the El Frontal dinosaur tracksite (Early Cretaceous, Cameros basin, Soria, Spain) highlights the pronounced intra-trackway variation found in track morphologies of four theropod trackways. Photogrammetric 3D digital models revealed various and distinct intra-trackway morphotypes, which reflect changes in footprint parameters such as the pace length, the track length, depth, and height of displacement rims. Sedimentological analyses suggest that the original substrate was non-homogenous due to lateral changes in adjoining microfacies. Multidata analyses indicate that morphological differences in these deep and shallow tracks represent a part of a continuum of track morphologies and geometries produced by a gradient of substrate consistencies across the site. This implies that the large range of track morphologies at this site resulted from similar trackmakers crossing variable facies. The trackways at the El Frontal site present an exemplary case of how track morphology, and consequently potential ichnotaxa, can vary, even when produced by a single trackmaker.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2011/30069-C02-01 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2010/16447 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BES2012-051847 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación JDC-2011 Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia AP2008-01340
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	PloS one, Vol. 9, Issue 4 (April 2014) , art. e0093708, ISSN 1932-6203

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093708
PMID: 24699696

14 p, 10.0 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles