Abelichnus
Temporal range: Early-Late Cretaceous,
?
Trace fossil classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Ichnogenus: †Abelichnus
Calvo, 1991
Type ichnospecies
†Abelichnus astigarrae
Calvo, 1991

Abelichnus is an extinct ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint from the Candeleros Formation and the Rio Limay Formation. The type ichnospecies, Abelichnus astigerrae, was first discovered in Argentina in 1987 and was recorded as the biggest known dinosaur footprint ever discovered.[1] Abelichnus probably grew to a size of 12.5-13 meters (41-42 ft) long.[2]

Description

In 1999 Calvo suggested that some theropod trackways and isolated tracks (which he made the basis of the ichnotaxon Abelichnus astigarrae in 1991) belonged to Giganotosaurus, based on their large size - these were discovered at Lake Ezequiel Ramos Mexia in 1987 by A. Delgado. The largest tracks are 50 cm (20 in) long with a pace of 130 cm (51 in), and the smallest is 36 cm (14 in) long with a pace of 100 cm (39 in). The tracks are tridactyl (three-toed) and have large and coarse digits, with prominent claw impressions. Impressions of the digits occupy most of the track-length, and one track has a thin heel. Though the tracks were found in a higher stratigraphic level than the main fossils of Giganotosaurus, they were from the same strata as the Giganotosaurus tooth MUCPv-52 and some sauropod dinosaurs that are also known from the same strata as Giganotosaurus.[3]

Taxonomy

Possible trackmakers of Abelichnus could have been Abelisaurus or Carnotaurus,[4] although according to Calvo (1999), Giganotosaurus was the track maker.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Calvo, J. O. (1991). Huellas de dinosaurios en la Formación Río Limay (Albiano-Cenomaniano?), Picun Leufú, Provincia de Neuquén, Republica Argentina. (Ornithischia-Saurischia: Sauropoda-Theropoda) [Dinosaur footprints in the Río Limay Formation (Albian-Cenomanian?), Picun Leufú, Neuquén Province, Argentine Republic. (Ornithischia-Saurischia: Sauropoda-Theropoda)]. Ameghiniana 28(3-4):241-258
  2. ↑ Calvo, Jorge Orlando; Rivera, Cynthia (2018). "Huellas de dinosaurios en la costa oeste del embalse Ezequiel Ramos Mexía y alrededores (Cretácico Superior, Provincia de Neuquén, República Argentina)". Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana. 70 (2): 449 ‒ 497. doi:10.18268/BSGM2018v70n2a11.
  3. 1 2 Calvo, J. O. (1999). "Dinosaurs and other vertebrates of the Lake Ezequiel Ramos Mexía area, Neuquén-Patagonia, Argentina". National Science Museum Monographs. 15: 13–45.
  4. ↑ Lockley, Martin and Hunt, Adrian. Dinosaur Tracks of Western North America. Columbia University Press. 1999.


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