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New sauropod tracks from the Yacoraite Formation (Maastrichtian–Danian), Valle del Tonco tracksite, Salta, northwestern Argentina

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Abstract

Purpose

A relative long sauropod trackway and hundreds of varied indeterminate dinosaur tracks, many of them probably related to ornitischians, were found many years ago in the Valle del Tonco tracksite (Salta, northwestern Argentina). This sauropod trackway is now described and analyzed in an updated context.

Methods

Ichnological analyses were mainly conducted during fieldwork. Fossiliferous surface was mapped and digitalized in order to recognize the track shape and their distribution.

Results

The trackway-bearing surface belongs to an inverted section from the uppermost Cretaceous Caliza Amblayo Member, the lower unit of the Yacoraite Formation in this area. The sauropod trackway is moderate to poorly-preserved and includes twelve manus–pes imprint sets as convex hyporelief (natural casts). The heteropody is high and the PTR index indicates a medium category for the trackway gauge. The pes tracks, longer than wide, have subtriangular posterior edge and a general rhomboidal shape, lacking a lateral notch, and the digit-claw traces are laterally located. The manus tracks are subrounded to rectangular with at least two short, posteriorly oriented digit imprints.

Conclusions

Their main features and preservation/weathering do not allow a precise assignment to a particular ichnotaxon. Taking into account the best-preserved Campanian–Maastrichtian sauropod pes tracks, two different general shapes can be differentiated: the Campanian Humaca shape (Bolivia) and the Maastrichtian Fumanya shape (Spain). The Valle del Tonco pes prints show similarities with the Fumanya shape. The presence of two pes track shapes in this age suggests that at least two different titanosaur feet morphology were present in the uppermost Cretaceous.

Resumen

Objetivo

Varios años atrás se ha encontrado una rastrillada saurópoda relativamente larga y cientos de huellas indeterminadas de dinosaurio, muchas de ellas probablemente relacionadas con ornitisquios, en el sitio icnológico Valle del Tonco (Salta, noroeste argentino). En este trabajo, se describe y analiza en un contexto actualizado esta rastrillada saurópoda.

Métodos

Los análisis icnológicos fueron pricipalmente desarrollados durante el trabajo de campo. La superficie fosilífera fue mapeada y digitalizada para reconocer la forma de las huellas y su distribución.

Resultados

La superficie portadora de las huellas pertenece a una sección invertida de la unidad inferior de la Formación Yacoraite en el área, el Miembro Caliza Amblayo del Cretácico Superior. La rastrillada saurópoda está entre moderada a mal conservada e incluye doce pares mano-pie como hiporrelieve convexos (contramoldes). La heteropodía es alta y el índice PTR indica una rastrillada de vía intermedia. Las huellas de los pies son más largas que anchas, y tienen el borde posterior subtriangular, una forma general romboidal, carecen de una escotadura lateral, y las impresiones de las uñas se localizan lateralmente. Las huellas de las manos son subredondeadas a rectangulares con al menos dos impresiones de dedos cortos orientados posteriormente.

Conclusiones

Debido a las características principales y al estado de conservación/meterorización de estas huellas no es posible hacer una asignación precisa a un icnotaxón en particular. Se pueden diferenciar dos formas de huellas de pie de saurópodo del Campaniense-Maastrichtiense teniendo en cuenta sólo huellas bien conservadas: la forma campaniense de Humaca (Bolivia), y la forma maastrichtiense de Fumanya (España). Las huellas de pie de Valle del Tonco muestran similitudes con la forma de Fumanya. La presencia de dos formas diferentes de improntas de pie saurópodas en esa edad sugiere que en el Cretácico final al menos hubo dos tipos de pie entre los titanosaurios.

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Fig. 1

After Marquillas et al. (2005)

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After Gorustovich et al. (2013)

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Acknowledgements

First of all, we want to thank the editors of this special volume and organization of the 1st IMERP-XIV EJIP (1st International Meeting of Early-stage Researchers in Paleontology-XIV Encuentro de Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontología) for allowing us to participate in this event. We are also very grateful to the CNEA and the people working on Mina Don Otto for their invaluable help in the fieldwork, especially to Sergio Gorustovich and Alfredo Zelaya, who have invited us to study this ichnological locality. This work was partially funded by project PI UNRN 40-A-402 of the Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (S. de Valais). We thank to reviewers Martin Lockley and Vanda Farias dos Santos that have improved this contribution.

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Díaz-Martínez, I., de Valais, S. & Cónsole-Gonella, C. New sauropod tracks from the Yacoraite Formation (Maastrichtian–Danian), Valle del Tonco tracksite, Salta, northwestern Argentina. J Iber Geol 44, 113–127 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41513-017-0035-1

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