Dinosaur discoveries from India have been known since 1844, while dinosaur discoveries from Pakistan have appeared recently since 2000. 3 large and 2 small theropod dinosaurs are known from Pakistan, while 11 large an...Dinosaur discoveries from India have been known since 1844, while dinosaur discoveries from Pakistan have appeared recently since 2000. 3 large and 2 small theropod dinosaurs are known from Pakistan, while 11 large and 4 small theropods are known from India. Pakistani land uncovered many footprints and trackways of Jurassic small and large theropods, Jurassic ankylosaur and Cretaceous hadrosaur ornithischian dinosaurs, while Indian land uncovered a footprint of small and a footprint of large theropod and 1 footprint of stegosaur. Pakistan uncovered a Jurassic bone taxon of ankylosaur ornithischian based on heavily armored synapomorphies. Recently, Pakistan yielded 1 bone taxon and 1 ichno taxon of pterosaurs, while Indian land yielded 1 bone taxon of pterosaur. Pakistani land uncovered 14 bone taxa (and 2 ichno taxa) of herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs, 5 bone taxa (and 2 ichnotaxa) of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs, 1 bone taxon of ankylosaur and 2 (ichnotaxa) of ornithischian (ankylosaur and hadrosaurs) dinosaurs, 1 bone taxon (and 1 ichno taxon) of pterosaurs, 1 plesiosaur, 7 crocodiles, 1 snake, 1 bird, 11 mammals, 3 fishes, 7 invertebrates and 1 plant. This study fills a significant gap in the literature by bringing together paleontological records from an understudied geographical location, enhancing the global understanding of dinosaur paleobiogeography. Pakistan hosts Precambrian to recent sediments igneous and metamorphic rocks. Pakistan is rich in mineral resources/rocks, but it needs more attention for its development to fulfill local requirements and earn foreign exchange.展开更多
A newly discovered Jiaguan Formation(Lower Cretaceous) tracksite from the Linjiang region of Guizhou Province, China, reveals the first example of a Cretaceous track morphotype attributable to the non-avian theropod i...A newly discovered Jiaguan Formation(Lower Cretaceous) tracksite from the Linjiang region of Guizhou Province, China, reveals the first example of a Cretaceous track morphotype attributable to the non-avian theropod ichnogenus Gigandipus, here named Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp nov. The theropod dominated locality also reveals the second report of the avian theropod ichnogenus Wupus, one of the largest avian traces currently known from the Lower Cretaceous. The Linjiang site provides evidence to support previous interpretations of a distinctive Lower Cretaceous theropod-dominated ichnofauna that was widespread in China and East Asia and highlights the similarity between Lower Cretaceous theropod ichnotaxa in East Asia and those found in the Lower Jurassic both in East Asia and elsewhere. These similarities in turn create various ichnotaxonomic challenges familiar to researchers working on theropod tracks, and we recommend caution in the naming of new theropod ichnotaxa at the ichnogenus level.展开更多
Theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaurs (along with titanosaurian sauropods) are found in two overbank flood deposited mottled muds/shale units (alternated by meandering river deposited sandstone unit) of the lates...Theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaurs (along with titanosaurian sauropods) are found in two overbank flood deposited mottled muds/shale units (alternated by meandering river deposited sandstone unit) of the latest Maastrichtian (67 - 66 Ma) Vitakri Formation, Barkhan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. These vertebrates coexisted under the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary line of control and became extinct as mass extinction. Previously these taxa lack the detail description but here theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaur from Pakistan are being described well with large photographs which provide better understanding of fauna from Pakistan and comparison with coeval taxa from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. These fauna with associated cranial and postcranial skeletons are significant for Gondwanan paleobiogeography and phylogenetic studies.展开更多
A new theropod dinosaur, Shidaisaurusjinae gen. et sp. nov., has been described on the basis of an incomplete skeleton. The specimen was found near the base of the Upper Lufeng Formation （early Middle Jurassic） in Y...A new theropod dinosaur, Shidaisaurusjinae gen. et sp. nov., has been described on the basis of an incomplete skeleton. The specimen was found near the base of the Upper Lufeng Formation （early Middle Jurassic） in Yunnan, China. It is the first theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Yunnan. Shidaisaurus jinae is distinguishable from other Jurassic theropods by certain features from the braincase, axis, and pelvic girdle. The absence of any pleurocoels in the axis or in any anterior dorsal vertebrae suggests that the new Lufeng theropod is relatively primitive and more plesiomorphic than most of the Middle to Late Jurassic theropods from China. Most Chinese taxa of Jurassic theropod dinosaurs have not been well described; a further detailed study will be necessary for us to determine their phylogenetic relationships with Shidaisaurusjinae.展开更多
Vitakrisaurus saraiki abelisauroid theropod dinosaurs reported from Pakistan and extended distribution into India. Vitakrisaurus saraiki is medium to large sized theropod which is represented by associated vertebral a...Vitakrisaurus saraiki abelisauroid theropod dinosaurs reported from Pakistan and extended distribution into India. Vitakrisaurus saraiki is medium to large sized theropod which is represented by associated vertebral and limb elements and especially hand elements. Out of 14 small to large bodied theropods from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, only less than half of these are restricted to some common elements. Vitakrisaurus saraiki theropod of Pakistan is based on associated vertebral and limb elements especially hand including articulated carpals, metacarpals, phalanges and claws which are significant for Gondwanan paleobiogeographic link, comparisons and systematic.展开更多
A fossil theropod dinosaur discovered in China is thought to be vegetarian, in sharp contrast with its meat-eating cousins, according to research published in Nature on September 19,2002.……
The maximum locomotor capabilities of theropod dinosaurs have long been a subject of considerable scholarly,primarily due to the lack of contemporary species for direct comparison.Biomechanical modeling and the analys...The maximum locomotor capabilities of theropod dinosaurs have long been a subject of considerable scholarly,primarily due to the lack of contemporary species for direct comparison.Biomechanical modeling and the analysis of dinosaur trackways have yielded significant theoretical insights into this area of research.This study investigates the running speed of a mid-sized theropod dinosaur trackway recently identified in the Otog region of Inner Mongolia,and it juxtaposes these findings with other running theropod trackways from diverse various global locations utilizing standardized inference methodologies.The results indicate that the trackmaker was capable of achieving a running speed of 45 or 41±4.9 km/h,thereby establishing it as the fastest-running theropod trackway documented from the Cretaceous period.Additionally,this paper reviews biomechanical investigations concerning the maximum running speeds of theropod dinosaurs and illustrates that the inferred speed of this midsized theropod aligns with the predictions of the majority of biomechanical models,thereby providing compelling new evidence to enhance our understanding of the locomotor capabilities of mid-sized theropods.展开更多
A new Middle Jurassic tracksite dominated by non-avian theropod footprints from the Wangjiashan Formation in Pingchuan District,Baojishan Basin,Gansu Province has yielded a unique trackway with four consecutive manus-...A new Middle Jurassic tracksite dominated by non-avian theropod footprints from the Wangjiashan Formation in Pingchuan District,Baojishan Basin,Gansu Province has yielded a unique trackway with four consecutive manus-pes sets.Only three previous examples,all Early Jurassic in age,of theropod trackways are known with convincing examples of manus tracks and in each case,only two tracks were recorded in association with pes tracks with metatarsal impressions and pelvic traces indicating crouching behavior.Thus,this is the first example of manus tracks registered while a theropod trackmaker was walking.This unique configuration is here designated as Grallator pingchuanensis ichnosp.nov.which shows the trackmaker forelimbs registering in a wide straddle gait,much wider than the pes trackway width.G.pingchuanensis confirms previous reports that theropods could occasionally register tridactyl,ectaxonic manus traces.In the case of the Pingchuan trackway,the short step indicates an animal moving at a slow speed,probably due to a soft substrate.展开更多
Upper Triassic and Middle Jurassic strata of the Xichang Basin in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, yielded important dinosaur ichnofossils. From the Xujiahe Formation of the Yiguojiao tracksite, we report a Late ...Upper Triassic and Middle Jurassic strata of the Xichang Basin in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, yielded important dinosaur ichnofossils. From the Xujiahe Formation of the Yiguojiao tracksite, we report a Late Triassic footprint assemblage in China and the first discovery of diagnostic Triassic sauropodomorph tracks in this region. The tracks share a number of features in common with the ichnogenera Eosauropus(Late Triassic) and Liujianpus(Early Jurassic). The neighboring Bingtu tracksite is stratigraphically younger(Shaximiao Formation, Middle Jurassic) and preserves small tridactyl theropod tracks that represent the first occurrence of the ichnotaxon Carmelopodus in China and Asia. While these tracks are morphologically comparable to those from the Middle Jurassic type locality in North America, the specimens from China show the proximal margin of the digit IV impression in a more cranial position, which may indicate a trackmaker with a relatively short metatarsal IV. In addition to the skeletal record, the Carmelopodus footprints document the presence of small theropods in the dinosaur fauna of the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation.展开更多
The trackway of a swimming theropod (ichnogenus Characichnos) is reported from the Lower Cretaceous Feitianshan Formation of Sichuan, China. These swim tracks help confirm that non-avian theropods were capable of forg...The trackway of a swimming theropod (ichnogenus Characichnos) is reported from the Lower Cretaceous Feitianshan Formation of Sichuan, China. These swim tracks help confirm that non-avian theropods were capable of forging moderately deep bodies of water. The trackway occurs on the same surface as a typical walking trackway of a sauropod (ichnogenus Brontopodus). Both occurrences are the first reported from the Cretaceous of Sichuan, and the swim tracks are the first well-preserved example of a Characichnos trackway from China. Additionally, a theropod walking trackway and several ornithopod walking trackways (similar to the ichnogenus Caririchnium) occur in the same horizon. The ornithopod trackways show a parallel orientation, suggesting gregarious behavior of the trackmakers, which may have been iguanodontiforms and/or hadrosauriforms. The co-occurrence of theropod swim tracks and theropod walking tracks suggests a fluctuation of water depth within a distinct time span.展开更多
＂Splitting＂ and ＂lumping＂ are perpetual problems in vertebrate, especially dinosaur, ichnotaxonomy. Chinese dinosaur ichnotaxonomy, which began in 1940, provides a series of interesting case studies, highlighting ...＂Splitting＂ and ＂lumping＂ are perpetual problems in vertebrate, especially dinosaur, ichnotaxonomy. Chinese dinosaur ichnotaxonomy, which began in 1940, provides a series of interesting case studies, highlighting the dual problems of historical and dubious ichnotaxonomy. Chinese Mesozoic tetrapod track types have been placed into 63 ichnospecies （one Triassic, 28 Jurassic, and 34 Cretaceous）, exclusive of other, non-type ichnospecies or ichnotaxa identified from China. Fifty-two （~83%） of these 63 tetrapod ichnospecies were placed in monospecific ichnogenera. At the ichnogenus level, we prune---either by recognizing nomina dubia or by synonymy--17 from the list of 53 dinosaurian ichnogenera （a 32% reduction）, leaving 36 ichnotaxa that we consider valid. Most of the cuts affect Jurassic theropod ichnotaxa, which are reduced from 23 to only nine because most ichnogenera are subjective junior synonyms of Grallator and Eubrontes. Fewer Chinese Cretaceous ichnotaxa （only six of 21 ichnogenera） are obvious nomina dubia or subjective synonyms, suggesting greater east Asian endemism during this time. Because ichnospecies differences are subtle, we provisionally retain ichnospecies as valid pending detailed comparative analyses of congeneric ichnospecies. This synthesis is long overdue and is necessary to address problems of historical and provincial ichnotaxonomy, which severely hamper comparisons of tetrapod ichnofaunas in space and time.展开更多
文摘Dinosaur discoveries from India have been known since 1844, while dinosaur discoveries from Pakistan have appeared recently since 2000. 3 large and 2 small theropod dinosaurs are known from Pakistan, while 11 large and 4 small theropods are known from India. Pakistani land uncovered many footprints and trackways of Jurassic small and large theropods, Jurassic ankylosaur and Cretaceous hadrosaur ornithischian dinosaurs, while Indian land uncovered a footprint of small and a footprint of large theropod and 1 footprint of stegosaur. Pakistan uncovered a Jurassic bone taxon of ankylosaur ornithischian based on heavily armored synapomorphies. Recently, Pakistan yielded 1 bone taxon and 1 ichno taxon of pterosaurs, while Indian land yielded 1 bone taxon of pterosaur. Pakistani land uncovered 14 bone taxa (and 2 ichno taxa) of herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs, 5 bone taxa (and 2 ichnotaxa) of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs, 1 bone taxon of ankylosaur and 2 (ichnotaxa) of ornithischian (ankylosaur and hadrosaurs) dinosaurs, 1 bone taxon (and 1 ichno taxon) of pterosaurs, 1 plesiosaur, 7 crocodiles, 1 snake, 1 bird, 11 mammals, 3 fishes, 7 invertebrates and 1 plant. This study fills a significant gap in the literature by bringing together paleontological records from an understudied geographical location, enhancing the global understanding of dinosaur paleobiogeography. Pakistan hosts Precambrian to recent sediments igneous and metamorphic rocks. Pakistan is rich in mineral resources/rocks, but it needs more attention for its development to fulfill local requirements and earn foreign exchange.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41772008,41790455)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.2652017215)the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy(Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology,CAS)(Grant No.173127)
文摘A newly discovered Jiaguan Formation(Lower Cretaceous) tracksite from the Linjiang region of Guizhou Province, China, reveals the first example of a Cretaceous track morphotype attributable to the non-avian theropod ichnogenus Gigandipus, here named Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp nov. The theropod dominated locality also reveals the second report of the avian theropod ichnogenus Wupus, one of the largest avian traces currently known from the Lower Cretaceous. The Linjiang site provides evidence to support previous interpretations of a distinctive Lower Cretaceous theropod-dominated ichnofauna that was widespread in China and East Asia and highlights the similarity between Lower Cretaceous theropod ichnotaxa in East Asia and those found in the Lower Jurassic both in East Asia and elsewhere. These similarities in turn create various ichnotaxonomic challenges familiar to researchers working on theropod tracks, and we recommend caution in the naming of new theropod ichnotaxa at the ichnogenus level.
文摘Theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaurs (along with titanosaurian sauropods) are found in two overbank flood deposited mottled muds/shale units (alternated by meandering river deposited sandstone unit) of the latest Maastrichtian (67 - 66 Ma) Vitakri Formation, Barkhan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. These vertebrates coexisted under the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary line of control and became extinct as mass extinction. Previously these taxa lack the detail description but here theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaur from Pakistan are being described well with large photographs which provide better understanding of fauna from Pakistan and comparison with coeval taxa from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. These fauna with associated cranial and postcranial skeletons are significant for Gondwanan paleobiogeography and phylogenetic studies.
基金supported by grants from the Canadian Museum of Nature and the National Science and Engineering Research Counsel of Canada (Grant No:203091-98).
文摘A new theropod dinosaur, Shidaisaurusjinae gen. et sp. nov., has been described on the basis of an incomplete skeleton. The specimen was found near the base of the Upper Lufeng Formation （early Middle Jurassic） in Yunnan, China. It is the first theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Yunnan. Shidaisaurus jinae is distinguishable from other Jurassic theropods by certain features from the braincase, axis, and pelvic girdle. The absence of any pleurocoels in the axis or in any anterior dorsal vertebrae suggests that the new Lufeng theropod is relatively primitive and more plesiomorphic than most of the Middle to Late Jurassic theropods from China. Most Chinese taxa of Jurassic theropod dinosaurs have not been well described; a further detailed study will be necessary for us to determine their phylogenetic relationships with Shidaisaurusjinae.
文摘Vitakrisaurus saraiki abelisauroid theropod dinosaurs reported from Pakistan and extended distribution into India. Vitakrisaurus saraiki is medium to large sized theropod which is represented by associated vertebral and limb elements and especially hand elements. Out of 14 small to large bodied theropods from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, only less than half of these are restricted to some common elements. Vitakrisaurus saraiki theropod of Pakistan is based on associated vertebral and limb elements especially hand including articulated carpals, metacarpals, phalanges and claws which are significant for Gondwanan paleobiogeographic link, comparisons and systematic.
文摘 A fossil theropod dinosaur discovered in China is thought to be vegetarian, in sharp contrast with its meat-eating cousins, according to research published in Nature on September 19,2002.……
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42288201)the Education Department of Liaoning Province(Grant No.JYTQN2023424)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Liaoning Universities(Grant No.LJ202410166028)the Otog Local Cooperation Project Funding。
文摘The maximum locomotor capabilities of theropod dinosaurs have long been a subject of considerable scholarly,primarily due to the lack of contemporary species for direct comparison.Biomechanical modeling and the analysis of dinosaur trackways have yielded significant theoretical insights into this area of research.This study investigates the running speed of a mid-sized theropod dinosaur trackway recently identified in the Otog region of Inner Mongolia,and it juxtaposes these findings with other running theropod trackways from diverse various global locations utilizing standardized inference methodologies.The results indicate that the trackmaker was capable of achieving a running speed of 45 or 41±4.9 km/h,thereby establishing it as the fastest-running theropod trackway documented from the Cretaceous period.Additionally,this paper reviews biomechanical investigations concerning the maximum running speeds of theropod dinosaurs and illustrates that the inferred speed of this midsized theropod aligns with the predictions of the majority of biomechanical models,thereby providing compelling new evidence to enhance our understanding of the locomotor capabilities of mid-sized theropods.
基金supported by the Scientific Innovative Funds and Special Funds for Discipline Construction of Gansu Agricultural University(Grant Nos.066-056001 and GAU-XKJS-2018-159)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41790455 and 41772008)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.2652017215)the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy(Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology,Chinese Academy of Sciences)(Grant No.173127)
文摘A new Middle Jurassic tracksite dominated by non-avian theropod footprints from the Wangjiashan Formation in Pingchuan District,Baojishan Basin,Gansu Province has yielded a unique trackway with four consecutive manus-pes sets.Only three previous examples,all Early Jurassic in age,of theropod trackways are known with convincing examples of manus tracks and in each case,only two tracks were recorded in association with pes tracks with metatarsal impressions and pelvic traces indicating crouching behavior.Thus,this is the first example of manus tracks registered while a theropod trackmaker was walking.This unique configuration is here designated as Grallator pingchuanensis ichnosp.nov.which shows the trackmaker forelimbs registering in a wide straddle gait,much wider than the pes trackway width.G.pingchuanensis confirms previous reports that theropods could occasionally register tridactyl,ectaxonic manus traces.In the case of the Pingchuan trackway,the short step indicates an animal moving at a slow speed,probably due to a soft substrate.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.41772008)the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy(Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS)(Grant No.173127)and the comprehensive geological and mineral survey in Wumeng mountainous area conducted by China Geological Survey (Grant No.121201010000150002)
文摘Upper Triassic and Middle Jurassic strata of the Xichang Basin in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, yielded important dinosaur ichnofossils. From the Xujiahe Formation of the Yiguojiao tracksite, we report a Late Triassic footprint assemblage in China and the first discovery of diagnostic Triassic sauropodomorph tracks in this region. The tracks share a number of features in common with the ichnogenera Eosauropus(Late Triassic) and Liujianpus(Early Jurassic). The neighboring Bingtu tracksite is stratigraphically younger(Shaximiao Formation, Middle Jurassic) and preserves small tridactyl theropod tracks that represent the first occurrence of the ichnotaxon Carmelopodus in China and Asia. While these tracks are morphologically comparable to those from the Middle Jurassic type locality in North America, the specimens from China show the proximal margin of the digit IV impression in a more cranial position, which may indicate a trackmaker with a relatively short metatarsal IV. In addition to the skeletal record, the Carmelopodus footprints document the presence of small theropods in the dinosaur fauna of the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation.
基金supported by Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates,Chinese Academy Sciences (2011LESV008)
文摘The trackway of a swimming theropod (ichnogenus Characichnos) is reported from the Lower Cretaceous Feitianshan Formation of Sichuan, China. These swim tracks help confirm that non-avian theropods were capable of forging moderately deep bodies of water. The trackway occurs on the same surface as a typical walking trackway of a sauropod (ichnogenus Brontopodus). Both occurrences are the first reported from the Cretaceous of Sichuan, and the swim tracks are the first well-preserved example of a Characichnos trackway from China. Additionally, a theropod walking trackway and several ornithopod walking trackways (similar to the ichnogenus Caririchnium) occur in the same horizon. The ornithopod trackways show a parallel orientation, suggesting gregarious behavior of the trackmakers, which may have been iguanodontiforms and/or hadrosauriforms. The co-occurrence of theropod swim tracks and theropod walking tracks suggests a fluctuation of water depth within a distinct time span.
基金supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(to Masaki Matsukawa,no.1183303,1999-2000)the Grant-in Aid for University and Society Collaboration of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science,Sports and Culture(to Masaki Matsukawa,no. 11791012,1999-2001)+2 种基金The Shandong portion of this study was supported financially,in part,by the National Natural Science Foundation of China grant no.40972005 to Rihui LiThe Nei Mongol portion of this study was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(40872005) to Jianjun Lithe Beijing Museum of Natural History,with supplemental support from the Dinosaur Tracks Museum,University of Colorado Denver
文摘＂Splitting＂ and ＂lumping＂ are perpetual problems in vertebrate, especially dinosaur, ichnotaxonomy. Chinese dinosaur ichnotaxonomy, which began in 1940, provides a series of interesting case studies, highlighting the dual problems of historical and dubious ichnotaxonomy. Chinese Mesozoic tetrapod track types have been placed into 63 ichnospecies （one Triassic, 28 Jurassic, and 34 Cretaceous）, exclusive of other, non-type ichnospecies or ichnotaxa identified from China. Fifty-two （~83%） of these 63 tetrapod ichnospecies were placed in monospecific ichnogenera. At the ichnogenus level, we prune---either by recognizing nomina dubia or by synonymy--17 from the list of 53 dinosaurian ichnogenera （a 32% reduction）, leaving 36 ichnotaxa that we consider valid. Most of the cuts affect Jurassic theropod ichnotaxa, which are reduced from 23 to only nine because most ichnogenera are subjective junior synonyms of Grallator and Eubrontes. Fewer Chinese Cretaceous ichnotaxa （only six of 21 ichnogenera） are obvious nomina dubia or subjective synonyms, suggesting greater east Asian endemism during this time. Because ichnospecies differences are subtle, we provisionally retain ichnospecies as valid pending detailed comparative analyses of congeneric ichnospecies. This synthesis is long overdue and is necessary to address problems of historical and provincial ichnotaxonomy, which severely hamper comparisons of tetrapod ichnofaunas in space and time.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41790455,41772008)the National Geographic Society,USA(No.EC0768-15)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2652017215)the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy(Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology,Chinese Academy of Sciences)(No.173127)
基金supported by Geophysical Team of Sichuan Bureau of Geological and Mineral Investigation and Exploration, Chengdu, Sichuan, Chinathe 2013 support fund for graduate student’s science and technology innovation from China University of Geosciences (Beijing), China~~
