Dinosaur footprints in the Upper Hauterivian deposits of the Palud Bay in Istria, Croatia

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Ivanić et al., (
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Published: 2015-05-26
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4154/GC.2015.08
Keywords:
Dinosaur/Sauropod footprints, Upper Hauterivian Limestone, Palud, Istria, Croatia

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Aleksandar Mezga
Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
Blanka Cvetko Tešović
Department of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
Vedrana Pretković
Department of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
Nina Jovanović
Department of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
Zlatan Bajraktarević
Department of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb

Abstract

Sixteen dinosaur footprints are exposed along the upper-bedding plane of a single Upper Hauterivian limestone layer in the Palud bay (western Istria, Croatia). This distinct footprint-bearing horizon is part of the thick Mesozoic Adriatic-Dinaridic Carbonate Platform stratal succession. Strata at the Palud site are characterized by peritidal (shallow subtidal to intertidal) limestone with several shallowing-upward cycles composed of mudstone, peloidal wackestone/packstone, peloidal packstone/grainstone and fenestral mudstone/wackestone with common geopetal infill. The Late Hauterivian age of these deposits is determined from their microfossil assemblage, which is dominated by ostracods, benthic foraminifera and calcareous green algae Dasycladales. The Palud site dinosaur footprints are circular to elliptical in shape, with no clearly visible digit impressions (except for one questionable example), and are rather large with average length of 30 cm. Most footprints have a well-defined expulsion rim that represents displacement and compression of soft, waterlogged sediment substrate by the weight of the dinosaur. All of the footprints are of nearly same shape and size, which indicates that they were produced by the same kind of tracemaker – likely a sauropod dinosaur. These animals left their footprints on top of a shallowing-upward succession of an intertidal environment during a short subaerial exposure of fine-grained carbonate sediment.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 68 No. 2 (2015)

Section

Original Scientific Papers

Authors have copyright and publishing rights on all published manuscripts.

Author Biography

Aleksandar Mezga, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb

References

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