Dinosaur footprints in the Upper Hauterivian deposits of the Palud Bay in Istria, Croatia
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Published:
May 26, 2015
Keywords:
Dinosaur/Sauropod footprints, Upper Hauterivian Limestone, Palud, Istria, Croatia
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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.
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References
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GUŠIĆ, I. & JELASKA, V. (1993): Upper Cenomanian-Lower Turonian sea-level rise and its consequences on the Adriatic-Dinaric carbonate platform. - Geologische Rundschau 82, 678–686.
MATIČEC, D., VLAHOVIĆ, I., VELIĆ, I. & TIŠLJAR, J. (1996): Eocene limestones overlying Lower Cretaceous deposits of western Istria (Croatia): did some parts of present Istria form land during the Cretaceous? – Geol. Croat. 49/1, 117–127.
MEZGA, A., CVETKO TEŠOVIĆ, B. & BAJRAKTAREVIĆ, Z. (2007): Dinosaur tracks as an indicator of peritidal environment: an example from Late Hauterivian of Palud bay, Croatia. - In: 25th IAS Meeting of Sedimentology, Abstracts Book, Patras 2007, Zelilidis, Avram (Ed.), 276.
POLŠAK, A. & ŠIKIĆ, D. (1973): Osnovna geološka karta SFRJ 1:100000, Tumač za list Rovinj K33-100 (Basic Geological Map of SFRY 1:100000, Geology of the Rovinj sheet – in Croatian). – Geološki zavod, Zagreb, Savezni geološki zavod, Beograd, 51 p.
THULBORN, R. A. (1990): Dinosaur tracks. - Chapman and Hall, London, 410 p.
TIŠLJAR, J., VLAHOVIĆ, I., VELIĆ, I., MATIČEC, D. & ROBSON, J. (1998): Carbonate facies evolution from the Late Albian to Middle Cenomanian in southern Istria (Croatia): Influence of synsedimentary tectonics and extensive organic carbonate production. - Facies 38, 137–152.
VELIĆ, I., TIŠLJAR J., VLAHOVIĆ, I., MATIČEC, D. & BERGANT, S. (2003): Evolution of the Istrian Part of the Adriatic Carbonate Platform from the Middle Jurassic to the Santonian and Formation of the Flysch Basin during the Eocene: Main Events and Regional Comparison. - In: VLAHOVIĆ, I. & TIŠLJAR J. (Eds.): Evolution of Depositional Environments from the Palaezoic to the Quaternary in the Karst Dinarides and the Pannonian Basin. Field Trip Guidebook 22nd IAS Meeting of Sedimentology, Opatija 2003, 3–17.
VLAHOVIĆ, I., TIŠLJAR, J., VELIĆ, I. & MATIČEC, D. (2005): Evolution of the Adriatic Carbonate Platform: Palaeogeography, main events and depositional dynamics. - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 220/3, 333–360.