Theropod and Ornithischian Footprints from the Middle Jurassic Yanan Formation of Zizhou County, Shaanxi, China

• Published in: Ichnos (Chur, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2015-01, Vol.22 (1), p.1-11
• Main Authors: Xing, Lida, Lockley, Martin G., Tang, Yonggang, Klein, Hendrik, Zhang, Jianping, Persons, W. Scott, Dai, Hui, Ye, Yong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anomoepus; Dinosaur tracks; Kayentapus; Ordos Basin; Shaanxi; Shensipus
• ISSN: 1042-0940; 1563-5236
• DOI: 10.1080/10420940.2014.985670

New tracksites reported from the Zizhou area elucidate the nature of the Early-Middle Jurassic dinosaurian ichnofaunas in Shaanxi Province. The assemblage is composed of footprints and trackways of medium- to large-sized theropods that show similarities with both the ichnogenera Kayentapus and Eubrontes and of small bipedal ornithischians that are referred to AS Anomoepus isp. Additionally tracks of a quadruped are present and assigned to Deltapodus isp. that may be related to a stegosaurian. Anomoepus isp. is similar to the holotype of Shensipus tungchuanensis which is, although apparently lost, re-assigned here and considered to be a subjective junior synonym of Anomoepus. It is therefore placed in new combination as Anomoepus tungchuanensis comb. nov. Identical tracks have been reported from well-preserved trackways both in the Zizhou and Shenmu areas, where they also co-occur with theropod tracks (Kayentapus and Grallator) and tracks of quadrupedal ornithischians (Shenmuichnus and Deltapodus). Thus, it appears that the carbonaceous (coal-bearing) facies of the region reveal ichnofaunas with both relatively abundant saurischian (theropod) and ornithischian tracks. This is in contrast with many areas where the ichnofaunas are heavily or exclusively saurischian (theropod) dominated.