Re-Examination of Some Large Early Mesozoic Tetrapod Footprints from the African Collection of Paul Ellenberger

Abstract

The Late Triassic—Early Jurassic ichnofauna described mainly by Paul Ellenberger from southern Africa (Lesotho) is a valuable window on first phases of dinosaur diversification. Unfortunately, the present taxonomic status of several forms from that ichnofauna is unclear. The revision of this material has been frequently invoked and partially done without reaching many definitive results. Due to the enormous amount of data, a global revision seems at present impossible and must be accomplished in smaller steps. A small number of Ellenberger's ichnogenera including Tetrasauropus, Pseudotetrasauropus, Pentasauropus, Paratetrasauropus, Sauropodopus and Deuterosauropodopus, which different authors have ascribed to basal sauropodomorphs, are here revised in a consistent manner and their attribution to osteological clades is considered. Tetrasauropus and Pseudotetrasauropus are here validated as the only ichnotaxa related to sauropodomorphs. Pentasauropus is retained as valid, and a therapsid trackmaker is suggested. Paratetrasauropus and Sauropodopus are also validated and ascribed to non-dinosaurian trackmakers, and Deuterosauropodopus is synonymized with Sauropodopus.

Keywords:

• Ichnotaxonomy
• dinosaurs
• basal sauropodomorphs
• Triassic
• Lesotho

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are deeply indebted to P. Ellenberger for his advice and kindness during the examination of specimens. M. Vianey-Liaud and C. Requirand of the Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution of the University of Montpellier made access to the Lesotho material possible. C. Buttler of the Department of Geology of the National Museums of Wales helped with the NMW 27.289.G1 specimen. Martin Lockley and Spencer Lucas provided useful and important comments on the manuscript and kindly improved the English. Thanks also to Sara Maggiori and Livia Lotti who improved the English in the first version of the manuscript. Work was granted by Università di Roma “La Sapienza” 40% (G. Carboni).

Notes

Lockley, M. G., Wright, J. L., Hunt, A. P., and Lucas, S. G. 2001. The late Triassic sauropod track record comes into focus: old legacies and new paradigms. New Mexico Geological Society Guidebook, 52nd Field Conference, Geology of the Llano Estacado, 2001: 181–190.

Rainforth, E. C. and Lockley, M. G. 1996. Tracking life in a Lower Jurassic desert: vertebrate tracks and other traces from the Navajo Sandstone. In The Continental Jurassic, Morales, M. (ed.), Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin, 60:285–289.

Requirand, C. 2001. Catalogue des pistes du Stormberg (Lesotho). Collection Paul Ellenberger. Université Montpellier II. Institut de Sciences de l’Evolution, Laboratoire de Palèontologie.