First Jurassic dinosaur tracksite from Guizhou Province, China: morphology, trackmaker and paleoecology

Abstract

Sauropod tracks from the Early Jurassic Maanshan Member of the Ziliujing Formation in the Dazhuanwan area of Guizhou represent the first Jurassic dinosaur track record for this province. The best preserved and longest trackway is narrow gauge (Brontopodus type), and indicates a relatively small trackmaker (footprint length ~35.0 cm). In conjunction with sauropodomorph skeletal remains these tracks suggest that basal sauropodomorphs and primitive sauropods coexisted in this region during the Early Jurassic. This pattern is same in the Lufeng and Sichuan basins. Thus, sauropod tracks from southwest China are diverse in the Early Jurassic, and include narrow gauge Parabrontopodus, wide gauge Brontopodus-type, and basal sauropodomorph tracks.

Keywords:

• Sauropod
• basal sauropodomorpha, dinosaur footprints, Lower Jurassic, Guizhou

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Jian Liu and Bing Xiao (Sichuan Moun-taineering Association, China) for their participation in field research. Matteo Belvedere and Jeremy Lockwood provided constructive reviews that helped to improve the manuscript.