20th century in ichnology

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Mounted skeleton of Apatosaurus in position over a trackway slab from the Glen Rose Formation in the American Museum of Natural History. The extraction of this slab from rocks in Texas represented the first major fossil footprint excavation in the history of paleontology. Apatosaurus and trackway.jpg
Mounted skeleton of Apatosaurus in position over a trackway slab from the Glen Rose Formation in the American Museum of Natural History. The extraction of this slab from rocks in Texas represented the first major fossil footprint excavation in the history of paleontology.

The 20th century in ichnology refers to advances made between the years 1900 and 1999 in the scientific study of trace fossils, the preserved record of the behavior and physiological processes of ancient life forms, especially fossil footprints. Significant fossil trackway discoveries began almost immediately after the start of the 20th century with the 1900 discovery at Ipolytarnoc, Hungary of a wide variety of bird and mammal footprints left behind during the early Miocene. [1] Not long after, fossil Iguanodon footprints were discovered in Sussex, England, a discovery that probably served as the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World . [2]

Contents

Several enduring mysteries from the 19th century continued to vex ichnologists, like the identity of the Chirotherium trackmaker. Renowned paleontologist Franz von Nopcsa attributed the ichnogenus to the prosauropod dinosaur Plateosaurus , despite an apparent mismatch between its number of toes (4) and the preserved digit traces of Chirotherium (5). Von Nopcsa explained the discrepancy by arguing that one of the impressions in the Chirotherium tracks was left by a soft tissue structure that did not fossilize. [3] However, it was Wolfgang Soergel who correctly hypothesized that Chirotherium was produced by a distant relative of modern crocodilians. Using only its footprints as a guide he reconstructed the life appearance of the Chirotherium trackmaker. Decades later paleontologists described an animal named Ticinosuchus which precisely fulfilled Soergel's predictions. Ticinosuchus or a close relative seems to have been the true Chirotherium trackmaker. [4]

During the 20th century, many significant fossil trackway discoveries were made in the western United States. In the 1930s and 1940s, Roland T. Bird discovered the tracks of large sauropod and theropod dinosaurs in Texas. He excavated a major section of the track ways on behalf of the American Museum of Natural History. This was the first large scale excavation of fossil footprints in history. [5] In the 1950s Lee Stokes reported unusual footprints he interpreted as the first known pterosaur tracks. [6] This attribution would be controversial much of the rest of the century but has since been vindicated. [7] The dinosaur footprints of Dinosaur Ridge in Colorado were also discovered and studied in the 20th century. [8]

The advent of the dinosaur renaissance and the publication by R. McNeil Alexander of a formula which could reconstruct their running speed based on data from fossil trackways brought renewed interest and prestige to ichnology during the late 20th century. [9] This led to several symposia on the subject of vertebrate trace fossils. In 1986 such a conference dedicated to dinosaur footprints was held in New Mexico. [10] Roughly a decade later renowned German ichnologist Heinrich Haubold organized a conference dedicated to the more ancient footprints of the Paleozoic Era. This gathering has been regarded as a turning point in the study of tracks of that age. [11]

1900s

Fossil footprints at Ipolytarnoc Ipolytarnoc 8 million year old fossilized Pannonian Sea Coast 1.jpg
Fossil footprints at Ipolytarnoc
The foot of Iguanodon Iguanodon bernissartensis right foot.JPG
The foot of Iguanodon

1900

1902

1903

1904

1905

1906

1908

1909

1910s

Laoporus Laoporus sp.JPG
Laoporus

1910

1913

c. 1914

1914

1915

1915 - 1916

1918

1920s

Historical restoration of a tyrannosaur T. rex old posture.jpg
Historical restoration of a tyrannosaur
Artist's restoration of Euparkeria Euparkeria capensis.png
Artist's restoration of Euparkeria
Charles Whitney Gilmore with Diplodocus vertebrae Gilmore with Diplodocus vertebrae.jpg
Charles Whitney Gilmore with Diplodocus vertebrae

c. 1920

1923

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

1930s

Eubrontes from the Moenave Formation Eubrontes01.JPG
Eubrontes from the Moenave Formation
Location of Adams County, Pennsylvania where Gettysburg is situated Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Adams County.svg
Location of Adams County, Pennsylvania where Gettysburg is situated
Barnum Brown Barnum Brown.jpg
Barnum Brown
Mesolimulus dead in its tracks Mesolimulus walchi trackway and fossil.jpg
Mesolimulus dead in its tracks

1930s

1931

1932

1933

1936

1937

1938

c. 1939

1939

1940s

Digital reconstruction of the original Paluxy River trackway before Bird's excavation Digital paluxy track reconstruction still.png
Digital reconstruction of the original Paluxy River trackway before Bird's excavation
Example of a rhinoceros from the White River Formation Knight Hyracodon.jpg
Example of a rhinoceros from the White River Formation

1940

1941

1943

1944

1947

1948

1950s

Megalosaurus Megalosaurus dinosaur.png
Megalosaurus
A modern Ambystoma California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense).jpg
A modern Ambystoma
Cutler Formation rocks Closeup of Organ Rock Shale.jpeg
Cutler Formation rocks
Montezuma Castle National Monument Montezumas castle arizona.jpg
Montezuma Castle National Monument

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

1957

1958

1959

1960s

Location of Spitzbergen Europe-Svalbard.svg
Location of Spitzbergen
Ticinosuchus Ticinosuchus BW.jpg
Ticinosuchus
Fossil footprints from the Green River Formation Track of Footprints of Many Mammals and Birds.jpg
Fossil footprints from the Green River Formation

1960

1962

1963

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970s

Dilophosaurus Dilophosaurus in bird-like resting pose.jpg
Dilophosaurus
Brachychirotherium Brachychirotherium.svg
Brachychirotherium
A pareiasaur Pareiasaurus serridens.jpg
A pareiasaur
Cabo Espichel Cabo Espichel, Portugal, 2012-08-18, DD 08.JPG
Cabo Espichel

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980s

Hyaenodon Hyaenodon and Leptomeryx.jpg
Hyaenodon
Brasilichnium MAPA - Pegadas 04.jpg
Brasilichnium
A creodont Patriofelis.jpg
A creodont
Hypsilophodon Hypsilophodon.jpg
Hypsilophodon
Interpretive panel about the Purgatoire Valley dinosaur tracksite Aerial Image of Purgatoire Tracksite.jpg
Interpretive panel about the Purgatoire Valley dinosaur tracksite
A diplocaulid Diploceraspis12DB.jpg
A diplocaulid

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990s

Location of the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland 342.34-5 Gory Swietokrzyskie.png
Location of the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland
Gastornis, formerly known as Diatryma Gastornis skeleton.jpg
Gastornis , formerly known as Diatryma
A stegosaur Stegosaurus Senckenberg.jpg
A stegosaur
Brontopodus Sauropod Footprint.jpg
Brontopodus
A cave lion skeleton Panthera leo spelaea in Vienna.jpg
A cave lion skeleton
Sauropod tracks from Lavini di Marco Lavini di Marco - Colatoio Chemini 01.jpg
Sauropod tracks from Lavini di Marco

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "A Miocene Menagerie", page 255.
  2. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Iguanodon and Conan Doyle's Lost World", page 201.
  3. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Story of Chirotherium: The Dawn of the Archosaurs", pages 5657.
  4. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Story of Chirotherium: The Dawn of the Archosaurs", pages 5758.
  5. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "'Swimming' Brontosaurs and the Dangers of Misinterpretation", page 186 and "Digging for Dinosaur Tracks", page 199.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "What's in a Name?", page 144.
  7. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Pterosaur Tracks Dispute", pages 140143.
  8. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Parallel Trackways and Dinosaur Herds", pages 196197 and "The Dinosaur Freeway", page 209.
  9. Lockley and Hunt (1995); For role of the dinosaur renaissance, see "Preface", page xvi. For paleontologists' need for data following the publication of Alexander's formula, see "The Case of the 'Mystery Dinosaur'", page 221.
  10. ">Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Preface", page xvi.
  11. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The German Summit Conference", page 44.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Weishampel and Young (1996); "More Early Footprints", page 63.
  13. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Tracks Versus Bones", pages 177178.
  14. Weishampel and Young (1996); "More Early Footprints", page 61.
  15. Weishampel and Young (1996); "Theropoda: Tracking and Attacking in the Triassic", page 98.
  16. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "2. Were the Tracks Made by Representatives of the Genus Iguanodon Only, and If So, Which Species?" page 195.
  17. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Subterranean Tracking: Hominid Ichnology", page 261.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Paleocene Tracks and the Survivors of the Mass Extinction", page 246.
  19. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Dinosaurs in the Great Deltas of Yorkshire", page 133.
  20. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Lyons Sandstone: Twin of the Coconino", page 44.
  21. Moore (2014); "1913" (3), page 150.
  22. Moore (2014); "1914" (5), page 153.
  23. 1 2 3 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Western Traces in the 'Age of Amphibians'", page 34.
  24. 1 2 3 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Megalosaur Tracks", page 152.
  25. 1 2 3 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 2: The Paleozoic Era", page 314.
  26. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Case of the 'Mystery Dinosaur'", page 217.
  27. Weishampel and Young (1996); "Virginia (Midland Formation)", page 105.
  28. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Story of Chirotherium: The Dawn of the Archosaurs", page 57.
  29. 1 2 3 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 2: The Paleozoic Era", page 313.
  30. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Tracks as Keys to Evolution and Locomotion", page 60.
  31. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Subterranean Tracking: Hominid Ichnology", page 262.
  32. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Oligocene Act II: An Abundance of Waterfowl", page 252.
  33. Moore (2014); "1929" (8), page 182.
  34. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Carboniferous Tracks: Amphibian, Reptile, or Other?", page 3738.
  35. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Latest Big Discovery", page 57.
  36. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Eastern Region of the Chinle", page 88.
  37. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "More Desert Trackmakers of the Moenave Formation", page 118.
  38. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Parallel Trackways and Dinosaur Herds", page 201.
  39. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Case of the Carson City 'Man Tracks'", page 280.
  40. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Tracks Along the Shores of the Western Interior Seaway", pages 194195.
  41. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Early Cretaceous Bird and Crocodile Tracks", page 211.
  42. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Western Traces in the 'Age of Amphibians'", page 35.
  43. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Northern Colorado Plateau Region of the Chinle", pages 9394.
  44. 1 2 3 4 5 Weishampel and Young (1996); "More Early Footprints", page 64.
  45. 1 2 3 4 Weishampel and Young (1996); "More Early Footprints", page 66.
  46. Moore (2014); "1933" (1), page 192.
  47. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Parallel Trackways and Dinosaur Herds", pages 196197.
  48. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Parallel Trackways and Dinosaur Herds", page 197.
  49. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Case of the 'Mystery Dinosaur'", pages 219220.
  50. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Case of the 'Mystery Dinosaur'", page 220.
  51. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Case of the 'Mystery Dinosaur'", pages 220221.
  52. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Turtles and Hopping Dinosaurs", page 178.
  53. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "'Stone Tracks' of the Coconino Sandstone", page 43.
  54. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "An Overview of Early Cretaceous Tracks", pages 184185.
  55. Weishampel and Young (1996); "More Early Footprints", pages 6466.
  56. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Moenkopi of the Early and Middle Triassic", pages 7172.
  57. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Digging for Dinosaur Tracks", page 199.
  58. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Linking Tracks with the Trackmakers", page 274.
  59. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Von Huene's Little Dinosaur Track: Coelurosaurichnus", page 95.
  60. 1 2 3 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 5: The Cretaceous", page 318.
  61. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 6: The Cenozoic Era", page 321.
  62. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Puzzle of Miocene Tracks in the Oligocene", page 257.
  63. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Puzzle of Miocene Tracks in the Oligocene", pages 257258.
  64. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 3: The Triassic", page 316.
  65. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Subterranean Tracking: Hominid Ichnology", page 260.
  66. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Case of the 'Mystery Dinosaur'", page 221.
  67. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Megalosaur Tracks", page 154.
  68. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Carboniferous Tracks: Amphibian, Reptile, or Other?", page 36.
  69. 1 2 3 4 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 4: The Jurassic", page 317.
  70. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Megalosaur Tracks", pages 152153.
  71. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Megalosaur Tracks", page 153.
  72. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 2: The Paleozoic Era", page 312.
  73. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Interpreting Tracks and Track Habitats", page 51.
  74. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Theropod Tracks", pages 207208.
  75. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Arctic Dinosaurs", page 220.
  76. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Arctic Dinosaurs", pages 220222.
  77. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Arctic Dinosaurs", page 222.
  78. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "One-of-a-Kind Tracks from the Eocene", pages 252253.
  79. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "A Miocene Menagerie", page 252.
  80. 1 2 Moore (2014); "1962" (5), page 244.
  81. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Archosaurs in the Air (Pterosaurian Giants)", page 189.
  82. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Story of Chirotherium: The Dawn of the Archosaurs", page 58.
  83. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Oligocene Act II: An Abundance of Waterfowl", pages 251252.
  84. 1 2 3 4 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Oligocene Act I: Tracking Ronzotherium, An Early Rhino", page 246.
  85. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Underground Hazards", page 227.
  86. Weishampel and Young (1996); "Leaksville Junction", pages 188189.
  87. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The World's Oldest Dinosaur Tracks: Fact, Fiction, and Controversy", page 68.
  88. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The World's Oldest Dinosaur Tracks: Fact, Fiction, and Controversy", page 67.
  89. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Further Along the Trail of the Elusive Ankylosaur", page 216.
  90. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Oligocene Act II: An Abundance of Waterfowl", page 248.
  91. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Kayenta Tracks and the Problem of 'Provincial Taxonomy'", page 119.
  92. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 4: The Jurassic", page 318.
  93. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Oligocene Act II: An Abundance of Waterfowl", page 249.
  94. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Ancient Ships of the Desert", page 267.
  95. Weishampel and Young (1996); "New York", page 172.
  96. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Interpreting Tracks and Track Habitats", pages 5556.
  97. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Sauropods on the Rise: Germany, Iberia, and Switzerland", page 159.
  98. "Ancorichnus Heinberg". Ichnopolis.dk. Tina A. Kjeldahl-Vallon & Lothar H. Vallon. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  99. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The First Pareiasaur Trackway", page 47.
  100. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Mr. Pooley's Enigmatic Track Discovery", page 143.
  101. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Mr. Pooley's Enigmatic Track Discovery", pages 143144.
  102. 1 2 Weishampel and Young (1996); "Culpeper", page 186.
  103. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Social Sauropods", page 166.
  104. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 5: The Cretaceous", page 320.
  105. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Welsh Dinosaurs at the Jolly Sailor Pub", page 80.
  106. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Welsh Dinosaurs at the Jolly Sailor Pub", page 81.
  107. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Real Pterosaur Tracks Story", page 160.
  108. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Arctic Dinosaurs", page 224.
  109. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "What's in a Name?", pages 144145.
  110. Moore (2014); "1978" (7), page 274.
  111. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Part II: Cruising the Carboniferous", page 32.
  112. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Last of the Brontosaurs: Tracking Titanosaurs in the High Pyrenees", page 234.
  113. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Oligocene Act II: An Abundance of Waterfowl", page 250.
  114. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Oligocene Act II: An Abundance of Waterfowl", pages 249251.
  115. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Rare Tracks of the Laramie Formation", page 229.
  116. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Quiet Dawn: Paleocene-Eocene", page 244.
  117. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Mammoths of the Pleistocene", pages 275276.
  118. Weishampel and Young (1996); "Theropoda: Skeletons. Fires, and Footprints", page 114.
  119. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Sauropod Tracks", page 209.
  120. 1 2 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "What's in a Name?", page 145.
  121. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Tracks as Keys to Evolution and Locomotion", page 61.
  122. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Lizard Ancestors and Proto-Mammals with Hairy Feet", pages 6567.
  123. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Problematic Potholes", pages 191192.
  124. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Bibliographic Notes", page 50.
  125. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Part II: Cruising the Carboniferous", pages 3334.
  126. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The March of the Prosauropods", pages 8485.
  127. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Ornithopod Tracks", page 211.
  128. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The German Summit Conference", page 44.
  129. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The German Summit Conference", page 45.
  130. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Camels, Bear-Dogs, and Other Denizens of the Miocene", pages 269270.
  131. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The First Ankylosaur Tracks", page 182.
  132. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "'Swimming' Brontosaurs and the Dangers of Misinterpretation", page 186.
  133. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Dinosaur Freeway", page 209.
  134. 1 2 3 4 Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 5: The Cretaceous", page 319.
  135. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Stuck in the Mud: The Complete Trace of a Hammerhead Amphibian", page 47.
  136. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Tracks Along the Shores of the Western Interior Seaway", pages 194196.
  137. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Tracks Along the Shores of the Western Interior Seaway", page 196.
  138. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 6: The Cenozoic Era", page 322.
  139. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Oligocene Act I: Tracking Ronzotherium, An Early Rhino", pages 246247.
  140. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Problematic Potholes", page 192.
  141. Weishampel and Young (1996); "Culpeper", pages 186188.
  142. Weishampel and Young (1996); "Culpeper", page 188.
  143. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Future Directions", page 71.
  144. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "France: The Causses Region", page 111.
  145. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Archosaurs in the Air (Pterosaurian Giants)", page 191.
  146. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Bird, Frog, Pterosaur(?) and Baby Dinosaur(?) Tracks", pages 225-226.
  147. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The First Ankylosaur Tracks", pages 182-183.
  148. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Pliocene Interlude", page 256.
  149. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Sauropod Straddle", page 175.
  150. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Digging for Dinosaur Tracks", pages 199200.
  151. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Big Bird Tracks Have Paleontologists All Aflutter", page 262.
  152. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Chapter 2: The Paleozoic Era", pages 313314.
  153. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Baby Brontosaurs", page 162.
  154. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Swiss Megatracksite", pages 169171.
  155. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Tracking Ancestors of the Cat: Miocene of Spain", page 255.
  156. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Puzzle of Miocene Tracks in the Oligocene", page 260.
  157. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Puzzle of Miocene Tracks in the Oligocene", page 261.
  158. Weishampel and Young (1996); "Graterford", page 185.
  159. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Dinosaurs in the Great Deltas of Yorkshire", pages 135136.
  160. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The First Iberian Sauropods", page 138.
  161. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The First Iberian Sauropods", page 139.
  162. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Battle of Carenque", pages 229230.
  163. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "The Latest Big Discovery", pages 5761.
  164. Lockley and Hunt (1995); "One-of-a-Kind Tracks from the Eocene", page 256.
  165. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Part I: Dragging Through the Devonian", page 29.
  166. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Part I: Dragging Through the Devonian", pages 2930.
  167. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Part II: Cruising the Carboniferous", page 34.
  168. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Spoor of the Pterosaur", page 178.
  169. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Spoor of the Pterosaur", page 180.
  170. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Dalmatian Dinosaurs", pages 217218.
  171. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Pleistocene: Ice Age Trackmakers", page 257.
  172. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Cave Art to Forensics: The Signature of Modern Humanity", page 265.
  173. 1 2 Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Cave Art to Forensics: The Signature of Modern Humanity", page 268.
  174. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Figure 10.15" page 269.
  175. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Dalmatian Dinosaurs", page 218.
  176. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The First Sauropods? Evidence From Italy", page 129.
  177. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Swiss Megatracksite", page 171.
  178. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "Ornithopod Tracks", pages 209211.
  179. Lockley and Meyer (2000); "The Last European Dinosaurs", page 239.

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Paleontology in Arkansas refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Arkansas. The fossil record of Arkansas spans from the Ordovician to the Eocene. Nearly all of the state's fossils have come from ancient invertebrate life. During the early Paleozoic, much of Arkansas was covered by seawater. This sea would come to be home to creatures including Archimedes, brachiopods, and conodonts. This sea would begin its withdrawal during the Carboniferous, and by the Permian the entire state was dry land. Terrestrial conditions continued into the Triassic, but during the Jurassic, another sea encroached into the state's southern half. During the Cretaceous the state was still covered by seawater and home to marine invertebrates such as Belemnitella. On land the state was home to long necked sauropod dinosaurs, who left behind footprints and ostrich dinosaurs such as Arkansaurus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleontology in Texas</span>

Paleontology in Texas refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Texas. Author Marian Murray has said that "Texas is as big for fossils as it is for everything else." Some of the most important fossil finds in United States history have come from Texas. Fossils can be found throughout most of the state. The fossil record of Texas spans almost the entire geologic column from Precambrian to Pleistocene. Shark teeth are probably the state's most common fossil. During the early Paleozoic era Texas was covered by a sea that would later be home to creatures like brachiopods, cephalopods, graptolites, and trilobites. Little is known about the state's Devonian and early Carboniferous life. Evidence indicates that during the late Carboniferous the state was home to marine life, land plants and early reptiles. During the Permian, the seas largely shrank away, but nevertheless coral reefs formed in the state. The rest of Texas was a coastal plain inhabited by early relatives of mammals like Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus. During the Triassic, a great river system formed in the state that was inhabited by crocodile-like phytosaurs. Little is known about Jurassic Texas, but there are fossil aquatic invertebrates of this age like ammonites in the state. During the Early Cretaceous local large sauropods and theropods left a great abundance of footprints. Later in the Cretaceous, the state was covered by the Western Interior Seaway and home to creatures like mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and few icthyosaurs. Early Cenozoic Texas still contained areas covered in seawater where invertebrates and sharks lived. On land the state would come to be home to creatures like glyptodonts, mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, titanotheres, uintatheres, and dire wolves. Archaeological evidence suggests that local Native Americans knew about local fossils. Formally trained scientists were already investigating the state's fossils by the late 1800s. In 1938, a major dinosaur footprint find occurred near Glen Rose. Pleurocoelus was the Texas state dinosaur from 1997 to 2009, when it was replaced by Paluxysaurus jonesi after the Texan fossils once referred to the former species were reclassified to a new genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleontology in Wyoming</span> Research on extinct life in Wyoming

Paleontology in Wyoming includes research into the prehistoric life of the U.S. state of Wyoming as well as investigations conducted by Wyomingite researchers and institutions into ancient life occurring elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleontology in Colorado</span> Paleontological research in the U.S. state of Colorado

Paleontology in Colorado refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Colorado. The geologic column of Colorado spans about one third of Earth's history. Fossils can be found almost everywhere in the state but are not evenly distributed among all the ages of the state's rocks. During the early Paleozoic, Colorado was covered by a warm shallow sea that would come to be home to creatures like brachiopods, conodonts, ostracoderms, sharks and trilobites. This sea withdrew from the state between the Silurian and early Devonian leaving a gap in the local rock record. It returned during the Carboniferous. Areas of the state not submerged were richly vegetated and inhabited by amphibians that left behind footprints that would later fossilize. During the Permian, the sea withdrew and alluvial fans and sand dunes spread across the state. Many trace fossils are known from these deposits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleontology in New Mexico</span>

Paleontology in New Mexico refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of New Mexico. The fossil record of New Mexico is exceptionally complete and spans almost the entire stratigraphic column. More than 3,300 different kinds of fossil organisms have been found in the state. Of these more than 700 of these were new to science and more than 100 of those were type species for new genera. During the early Paleozoic, southern and western New Mexico were submerged by a warm shallow sea that would come to be home to creatures including brachiopods, bryozoans, cartilaginous fishes, corals, graptolites, nautiloids, placoderms, and trilobites. During the Ordovician the state was home to algal reefs up to 300 feet high. During the Carboniferous, a richly vegetated island chain emerged from the local sea. Coral reefs formed in the state's seas while terrestrial regions of the state dried and were home to sand dunes. Local wildlife included Edaphosaurus, Ophiacodon, and Sphenacodon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleontology in Utah</span> Paleontological research in Utah

Paleontology in Utah refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Utah. Utah has a rich fossil record spanning almost all of the geologic column. During the Precambrian, the area of northeastern Utah now occupied by the Uinta Mountains was a shallow sea which was home to simple microorganisms. During the early Paleozoic Utah was still largely covered in seawater. The state's Paleozoic seas would come to be home to creatures like brachiopods, fishes, and trilobites. During the Permian the state came to resemble the Sahara desert and was home to amphibians, early relatives of mammals, and reptiles. During the Triassic about half of the state was covered by a sea home to creatures like the cephalopod Meekoceras, while dinosaurs whose footprints would later fossilize roamed the forests on land. Sand dunes returned during the Early Jurassic. During the Cretaceous the state was covered by the sea for the last time. The sea gave way to a complex of lakes during the Cenozoic era. Later, these lakes dissipated and the state was home to short-faced bears, bison, musk oxen, saber teeth, and giant ground sloths. Local Native Americans devised myths to explain fossils. Formally trained scientists have been aware of local fossils since at least the late 19th century. Major local finds include the bonebeds of Dinosaur National Monument. The Jurassic dinosaur Allosaurus fragilis is the Utah state fossil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleontology in Arizona</span> Review of the topic

Paleontology in Arizona refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Arizona. The fossil record of Arizona dates to the Precambrian. During the Precambrian, Arizona was home to a shallow sea which was home to jellyfish and stromatolite-forming bacteria. This sea was still in place during the Cambrian period of the Paleozoic era and was home to brachiopods and trilobites, but it withdrew during the Ordovician and Silurian. The sea returned during the Devonian and was home to brachiopods, corals, and fishes. Sea levels began to rise and fall during the Carboniferous, leaving most of the state a richly vegetated coastal plain during the low spells. During the Permian, Arizona was richly vegetated but was submerged by seawater late in the period.

<i>Steganoposaurus</i> Trace fossil

Steganoposaurus is an ichnogenus of fossil reptile footprints. The ichnospecies Steganoposaurus belli, was erected for footprints discovered in Wyoming's Tensleep Sandstone. The find was first reported to the scientific literature by Edward Branson and Maurice Mehl in 1932. This creature was originally presumed to be an amphibian, but the toe prints it left behind were pointed like a reptile's rather than round like an amphibians. The actual trackmaker may have been similar to the genus Hylonomus. The ichnogenus Tridentichnus are similar footprints preserved in the Supai Formation of Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">19th century in ichnology</span>

The 19th century in ichnology refers to advances made between the years 1800 and 1899 in the scientific study of trace fossils, the preserved record of the behavior and physiological processes of ancient life forms, especially fossil footprints. The 19th century was notably the first century in which fossil footprints received scholarly attention. British paleontologist William Buckland performed the first true scientific research on the subject during the early 1830s.

This article records new taxa of trace fossils of every kind that are scheduled to be described during the year 2019, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to trace fossil paleontology that are scheduled to occur in the year 2019.

Gwyneddichnium is an ichnogenus from the Late Triassic of North America and Europe. It represents a form of reptile footprints and trackways, likely produced by small tanystropheids such as Tanytrachelos. Gwyneddichnium includes a single species, Gwyneddichnium major. Two other proposed species, G. elongatum and G. minore, are indistinguishable from G. major apart from their smaller size and minor taphonomic discrepancies. As a result, they are considered junior synonyms of G. major.

<i>Bellatoripes</i> Trace fossil of tyrannosaurid footprints

Bellatoripes is an ichnogenus of footprint produced by a large theropod dinosaur so far known only from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. The tracks are large and three-toed, and based on their size are believed to have been made by tyrannosaurids, such as Albertosaurus and Daspletosaurus. Fossils of Bellatoripes are notable for preserving trackways of multiple individual tyrannosaurids all travelling in the same direction at similar speeds, suggesting the prints may have been made by a group, or pack, of tyrannosaurids moving together. Such inferences of behaviour cannot be made with fossil bones alone, so the record of Bellatoripes tracks together is important for understanding how large predatory theropods such as tyrannosaurids may have lived.

Wakinyantanka is an ichnogenus of footprint produced by a large theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. Wakinyantanka tracks are large with three long, slender toes with occasional impressions of a short hallux and narrow metatarsals. Wakinyantanka was the first dinosaur track to be discovered in the Hell Creek Formation, which remain rare in the preservational conditions of the rocks. The potential trackmakers may be a large oviraptorosaur or a small tyrannosaurid.

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