Grallator ["GRA-luh-tor"] is an ichnogenus which covers a common type of small, three-toed print made by a variety of bipedal theropod dinosaurs. Grallator-type footprints have been found in formations dating from the Early Triassic through to the early Cretaceous periods. They are found in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil and China, but are most abundant on the east coast of North America, especially the Triassic and Early Jurassic formations of the northern part of the Newark Supergroup. The name Grallator translates into "stilt walker", although the actual length and form of the trackmaking legs varied by species, usually unidentified. The related term "Grallae" is an ancient name for the presumed group of long-legged wading birds, such as storks and herons. These footprints were given this name by their discoverer, Edward Hitchcock, in 1858.
Megalosauripus is an ichnogenus that has been attributed to dinosaurs. The first ever appearance of this ichnospecies is 201 - 197 million years ago during the Early Jurassic period. The last recorded appearance was 156 - 151 million years ago during the Jurassic period.
Komlosaurus is an ichnogenus of theropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of Baranya, Hungary. The type species, Komlosaurus carbonis, was described by Kordos in 1983. The type remains come from the Mecsek Coal Formation, from the Middle Hettangian to the Early Sinemurian, and comprise several footprints.
Prorotodactylus is a dinosauromorph or pterosauromorph ichnogenus known from fossilized footprints found in Poland and France. The prints may have been made by a dinosauromorph that was a precursor to the dinosaurs, possibly closely related to Lagerpeton. Fossils of Prorotodactylus date back to the early Olenekian stage of the Early Triassic, making it the oldest known dinosauromorph. Its presence during this time extends the range of the dinosaur stem lineage to the start of the Early Triassic, soon after the Permian-Triassic extinction event. Prorotodactylus is the only ichnogenus within the ichnofamily Prorotodactylidae. Two ichnospecies are known, the type P. mirus and P. lutevensis.
Jialingpus is an ichnogenus of dinosaur, likely a theropod. Its footprints have been found in the Feitianshan Formation, a low-energy lake formation. Holotype is SCFP-24, which was found in Late Jurassic (Oxfordian)-aged Yuechi tracksite at Huanglong, China. These footprints were found within the vicinity of those of the smaller theropod Minisauripus, meaning that Jialingpus likely hunted Minisauripus.
Anatrisauropus is an ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint, possibly belonging to a saurischian. It has only been discovered in Lesotho. Three ichnospecies are known: A. camisardi, A. ginsburgi and A. hereroensis; all of which were named by Paul Ellenberger between 1965 and 1972.
Anticheiropus is an ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint belonging to a saurischian. It has only been discovered in Massachusetts. Two ichnospecies are known : A. hamatus and A. pilulatus, both discovered around 1863 and named by Edward Hitchcock in 1865.
Argoides is an ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint, originally named as an ichnospecies of Ornithichnites, left by what was possibly an ornithopod, although due to the age of the tracks, they were probably instead made by theropods. A 2.8 cm long footprint from the lower Jurassic represents the holotype. The size of the track maker is estimated at 56 cm (1.84 ft) long and 185 grams (0.408 lbs) in weight. It has been found in the Portland, Passaic and Turners Falls Formations of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey.
Macropodosaurus is an ichnogenus of therizinosaurid footprints from the Late Cretaceous of Asia, North America and Poland. The ichnogenus is currently monotypic only including the type ichnospecies M. gravis, described and named in 1964.
Navahopus is an ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint that was made by an indeterminate navahopodid sauropodomorph once thought to have been a prosauropod that was alive during the Early Jurassic in southwestern United States. Two ichnospecies are known: the type ichnospecies, N. falcipollex and a second species, N. coyoteensis. It is known from the Early Jurassic of Arizona, California and Utah.
Ornithichnites is an ichnotaxon of mammal footprint that was originally classified as a dinosaur. The name was originally used by Edward Hitchcock in 1836 as a higher group name rather than a specific ichnogenus, and thus the name does not have priority over specific ichnogeneric names even if they were first identified as Ornithichnites. Only two ichnospecies exist: O. crassus and O. argenterae.
Paragrallator is an ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint. Its ichnospecies have been found in China and Lesotho.
Rotundichnus is an ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint. The ichnospecies Rotundichnus muchehagensis dates to the early lower Cretaceous in central Laurasia and the largest footprint, that was 87 cm (2.85 ft) long, belongs to an individual that measured 21.5 meters (70.5 ft) and weighed 36.5 tonnes.
Saurexallopus is an ichnogenus of four-toed theropod footprints from the Late Cretaceous period. The type ichnospecies is S. lovei, named and described in 1996 from the Harebell Formation. The taxon was originally named Exallopus, but later renamed as Saurexallopus as the former was preoccupied by a polychaete. A second species, S.zerbsti, was named and described in 2004 from the Lance Formation. In 2012 a four-toed track from the Cantwell Formation was referred to Saurexallopus indet. It was also suggested that Saurexallopus was produced by a therizinosaur taxon. In 2013 based on skeletal proportions it was suggested that the ichnotaxon was instead produced by an oviraptorosaur taxon. In 2014 a third species was named, S.cordata, from the Wapiti Formation. In 2018 several tracks from the Blackhawk Formation were referred to Saurexallopus indet.
Paleontology in Virginia refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Virginia. The geologic column in Virginia spans from the Cambrian to the Quaternary. During the early part of the Paleozoic, Virginia was covered by a warm shallow sea. This sea would come to be inhabited by creatures like brachiopods, bryozoans, corals, and nautiloids. The state was briefly out of the sea during the Ordovician, but by the Silurian it was once again submerged. During this second period of inundation the state was home to brachiopods, trilobites and entire reef systems. During the mid-to-late Carboniferous the state gradually became a swampy environment.
Paleontology in Pennsylvania refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The geologic column of Pennsylvania spans from the Precambrian to Quaternary. During the early part of the Paleozoic, Pennsylvania was submerged by a warm, shallow sea. This sea would come to be inhabited by creatures like brachiopods, bryozoans, crinoids, graptolites, and trilobites. The armored fish Palaeaspis appeared during the Silurian. By the Devonian the state was home to other kinds of fishes. On land, some of the world's oldest tetrapods left behind footprints that would later fossilize. Some of Pennsylvania's most important fossil finds were made in the state's Devonian rocks. Carboniferous Pennsylvania was a swampy environment covered by a wide variety of plants. The latter half of the period was called the Pennsylvanian in honor of the state's rich contemporary rock record. By the end of the Paleozoic the state was no longer so swampy. During the Mesozoic the state was home to dinosaurs and other kinds of reptiles, who left behind fossil footprints. Little is known about the early to mid Cenozoic of Pennsylvania, but during the Ice Age it seemed to have a tundra-like environment. Local Delaware people used to smoke mixtures of fossil bones and tobacco for good luck and to have wishes granted. By the late 1800s Pennsylvania was the site of formal scientific investigation of fossils. Around this time Hadrosaurus foulkii of neighboring New Jersey became the first mounted dinosaur skeleton exhibit at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. The Devonian trilobite Phacops rana is the Pennsylvania state fossil.
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.
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.
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. 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.
Chelichnus is an ichnogenus of Permian tetrapod footprint. The name means tortoise traces, because the shape of the prints was originally mistakenly thought to be produced by a tortoise. This is now known to be incorrect, as tortoises did not evolve until much later. It was first found in Corncockle Quarry in Dumfries, Scotland, and described by Rev. Henry Duncan.
