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A Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 56 (2), 2017, 199-206. Modena
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Dinosaur footprints from the top of Mt. Pelmo: new data for Early Jurassic palaeogeography of the Dolomites (NE Italy)
Matteo Belvedere, Marco Franceschi, Francesco Sauro & Paolo Mietto
M. Belvedere, Office de la culture, Paléontologie A16, Hôtel des Halles, P.O. Box 64, CH-2900 Porrentruy 2, Switzerland; Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstrasse 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany; [email protected] M. Franceschi, University of Padova, Department of Geosciences, Via Gradenigo 6, I-35137 Padova, Italy; University of Ferrara, Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, Via Saragat 1, I-44100 Ferrara, Italy; [email protected] F. Sauro, University of Bologna, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Via Zamboni 67, I-40126 Bologna, Italy; Associazione di Esplorazioni Geografiche la Venta, Via Priamo Tron 35/F, I-31030 Treviso, Italy; [email protected] P. Mietto, University of Padova, Department of Geosciences, Via Gradenigo 6, I-35137 Padova, Italy; [email protected]
KEY WORDS - Dinosaur tracks, Palaeogeography, Early Jurassic, Calcari Grigi Group, Southern Alps.
ABSTRACT - Dinosaur footprints from the Lower Jurassic of northeastern Italy are well known and, since the first discoveries in the early 1990s, many sites have been described. Tracks are mostly found in the peritidal limestones of the Calcari Grigi Group, deposited on the Trento carbonate platform, now cropping out in the Southern Alps. In 2011, a group of speleologists discovered a new tracksite in the Lower Jurassic Calcari Grigi Group exposed almost at the top of Mt. Pelmo (Dolomites), 3037 m above sea level. Footprints are generally poorly preserved, but it proved possible to recognise some tridactyl footprints with theropodian features (i.e., elongated digit III and narrow interdigital angle) and some possible quadruped tracks whose configuration resembles that of a sauropodomorph trackmaker. Careful examination of the depressions excludes their inorganic origin (chemical weathering). Despite the poor quality of the traces, the Pelmo site is significant because it is the most easterly site ever found on the Trento Platform and the only one which is located north of the Valsugana Fault. This fault system is a major alpine tectonic lineament that separates the classical successions of the Calcari Grigi Group in the Italian Prealps from those located in the Dolomites. Moreover, the discovery of the Pelmo tracks considerably expands the documented area of movement of Early Jurassic terrestrial vertebrates in the northern part of the Trento Platform, extending the size of the Early Jurassic megatracksites of the Southern Alps.
RIASSUNTO - [Orme di dinosauro dalla cima del Mt. Pelmo: nuovi dati sulla paleogeografia del Giurassico Inferiore delle Dolomiti (NE Italia)] - Le impronte di dinosauri del Giurassico Inferiore del nordest italiano sono ben note e, dopo la prima scoperta all’inizio degli anni Novanta, sono stati riconosciuti diversi siti. Le impronte si trovano nei calcari pertitidali del Gruppo dei Calcari Grigi, depositatosi sulla piattaforma di Trento e affiorante oggi nelle Alpi Meridionali. Nel 2011, un gruppo di speleologi scoprì un nuovo sito nel Giurassico Inferiore dei Calcari Grigi, situato a 3037 m sul livello del mare, quasi alla sommità del Mt. Pelmo (Dolomiti). La qualità di conservazione delle orme è generalmente scarsa, tuttavia è possibile riconoscere alcune orme tridattile con caratteristiche teropodiane (dito III molto allungato, angolo interdigitale stretto) e alcune orme quadrupedi con una configurazione simile a quella dei sauropodi (o sauropodomorfi). L’attenta analisi delle depressioni esclude la loro origine inorganica (erosione chimica, carsismo). Nonostante la scarsa qualità delle orme, la scoperta del Pelmo è significativa perché il sito è il più orientale mai rinvenuto e l’unico situato a nord della Linea della Valsugana, un importante lineamento tettonico che separa le classiche successioni dei Calcari Grigi nelle Prealpi da quelle delle Dolomiti. Grazie al sito del Pelmo l’area dove si riscontra la presenza dei vertebrati nel Giurassico Inferiore si allarga alla parte settentrionale della Piattaforma di Trento, estendendo le dimensioni del mega-sito ad impronte del Giurassico Inferiore delle Alpi Meridionali.
INTRODUCTION formed. Most of the outcrops of the Calcari Grigi Group are found to the south of the Valsugana Fault, a major E-W Dinosaur footprints from the Early Jurassic of the trending thrust, part of the Southern Alps compressional Southern Alps of Italy have been studied since the early regime. Nevertheless, significant outcrops are also found 1990s (Lanzinger & Leonardi, 1992; Leonardi & Avanzini, in the Dolomite area to the north of this main tectonic 1994). Most of the documented trampled surfaces come fault. The Valsugana Fault partly reactivated an important from megatracksites (Lockley, 1991) discovered at four tectonic threshold which was last active in the Permian stratigraphic levels in the shallow water carbonates of the (Selli, 1998) and in the Early Jurassic as suggested by the Calcari Grigi Group (Leonardi & Mietto, 2000; Avanzini et variations in thickness of the Calcari Grigi Group in the al., 2001, 2006, 2007; Avanzini & Petti, 2008), which were NNW/SSE and ENE/WSW direction (Doglioni, 1987; deposited on the Trento Platform between the Hettangian Franceschi et al., 2014a). and the Pliensbachian. Subsurface evidence from the The area to the south of the Valsugana Fault has been Venetian Plain demonstrates that during the Sinemurian the focus of most stratigraphic and palaeontological a large peritidal carbonate platform occupied the entire studies because of the abundance of stratigraphic sections area that is now the Southern Alps, and this shallow-water and the classical stratigraphy of the Calcari Grigi Group shelf depositional environment was interrupted by the was defined there. It is, therefore, not surprising that Belluno Basin (Masetti et al., 2012). The dismemberment most of the Early Jurassic tracksites are found in the of this large carbonate shelf was initiated by rifting activity south-western Southern Alps, and that no evidence of and the morphological high of the Trento Platform was tracksites located north of the Valsugana Fault have been
ISSN 0375-7633 doi:10.4435/BSPI.2017.10 200 Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 56 (2), 2017
Fig. 1 - Location and palaeogeographical reconstruction of the site. a) Location of the Mt. Pelmo site. b) Schematic palaeogeographical reconstruction of the Trento Platform and surrounding basins in the Early Jurassic (modified after Franceschi et al., 2014b). Orange footprint indicates the Mt. Pelmo site position, the white tracks the known sites from the Calcari Grigi Group. The Valsugana fault is indicated as thick black lines. c) Aerial view of the NE flanks of Mt. Pelmo with the position of the tracksite (photo by C. Allois). d) View of the tracksite. Footprint Pelm.A is located at the end of the surface, roughly where the people stand, as indicated by the arrow. reported so far. Indeed, the Lower Jurassic carbonates in recognizing the Mt. Pelmo site as the highest tracksite that area are less well investigated for three main reasons: in Italy (3037 m a.s.l.). Mt. Pelmo was already known 1) the relative scarcity of outcrops with respect to the in the ichnological literature for being the first Italian south-western Southern Alps; 2) the chronostratigraphic site with dinosaur footprints, but they were recorded in uncertainties of the stratigraphic succession as compared the uppermost Carnian-Norian (Late Triassic) Dolomia to the classical sequence described to the south of the Principale formation on a rockslide boulder almost at the Valsugana Fault; 3) the lesser abundance of widely base of the mountain (Mietto, 1985). exposed surfaces of Lower Jurassic carbonates. These Here we report the description and interpretation latter, are instead found abundant in the surroundings of of some footprints with theropod morphological the Adige Valley, and often host the major tracksites (e.g., characteristics and of others with uncertain affinity whose Lavini di Marco, nearby the town of Rovereto). configuration resembles that of a sauropod(omorph) In 2011, during a speleological expedition made by trackmaker. The study of the Mt. Pelmo tracksite, which the team La Venta Esplorazioni Geografiche, who were represents the first Early Jurassic tracksite discovered exploring caves located in the central Dolomites on the north- north of the Valsugana Fault, contributes to a better eastern flank of Mt. Pelmo (Veneto, Italy) (Fig. 1), several knowledge of the palaeogeography of the area and of the hollows were discovered that were afterwards interpreted as distribution of Early Jurassic terrestrial vertebrates in the possible dinosaur footprints (Mietto et al., 2012). northern part of the Trento Platform. A second prospection was carried out in 2014, and was dedicated to clean and enlarge the extent of the exposed trampled surface and to characterize the traces. GEOLOGICAL SETTING This survey confirmed the Early Jurassic age of the site and the presence, although very weathered, of dinosaur The bio-chronostratigraphy of the Calcari Grigi tracks and allowed the identification of more footprints, Group is based on benthic foraminifera faunas (Bosellini M. Belvedere et alii - Dinosaur tracks from Mt. Pelmo 201
& Broglio Loriga, 1971; Fugagnoli & Broglio Loriga, 1998; Fugagnoli, 2004; Romano et al., 2005), calibrated through ammonoids in Morocco (Septfontaine, 1985), on very rare ammonite findings (Sarti & Ferrari, 1999) and on Sr and C isotope stratigraphy (Woodfine et al., 2008; Franceschi et al., 2014b). Four main formations are recognized (Avanzini et al., 2007; Avanzini & Petti, 2008): the Monte Zugna Formation (Hettangian-Sinemurian), the Loppio Oolitic Limestone (Middle to Upper Sinemurian), the Rotzo Formation (Sinemurian-Pliensbachian) and the Massone Oolitic Limestone (Upper Pliensbachian). The Monte Zugna Formation in the Adige Valley area hosts important dinosaur track sites, particularly in its middle peritidal portion. In one case, the abundance of tracks led to the institution of a megatracksite (Avanzini et al., 2006). The lithostratigraphic characters and the scarcity of fossil markers in the Calcari Grigi Group in the Dolomites make difficult the recognition of the classical units: the classical Calcari Grigi Group units are not clearly identifiable, hence, most recent geological maps (Neri et al., 2007) refer only to the Calcari Grigi sensu lato. The differences with respect to the classical succession led to informally referring to this part of the Early Jurassic carbonate platform as the “northern Trento Platform” (Zempolich, 1993). Masetti & Bottoni (1978) document the presence of an important hiatus at the top of the Calcari Grigi Group in the northern Trento Platform, testified by the absence of the Pliensbachian units. These are locally replaced by the crinoidal grainstones of the Fanes Encrinite (Masetti et al., 2006; Neri et al., 2007). Elsewhere the Rosso Ammonitico Veronese directly overlies the unconformity. The Calcari Grigi succession is rather homogeneous and can be subdivided in an upper and a lower portion. The lower part is characterized by shallowing up peritidal cycles, 50 to 70 cm thick and is referred to as the Monte Zugna Formation. It is in this lower portion that the Pelmo tracksite is located (Fig. 2). In the upper portion, layers become thinner and marly interlayers are present. Characteristic of the upper portion of the Rotzo Formation is the presence of thick-shelled large bivalves that can be referred to as the “Lithiotis Fauna”, typical of the upper portion of the Rotzo Formation, and whose diffusion is considered synchronous at the scale of the Trento Platform and referred to as the Protodactyloceras davoei- Amaltheus margaritatus ammonoid zones (Franceschi et al., 2014b).
METHODS
The tracksite is situated on the north-eastern shoulder of Mt. Pelmo, on a rocky platform which is accessible only by climbing or by helicopter transportation. In 2014, given the short time available and the effort
Fig. 2 - Schematic stratigraphic log of the Calcari Grigi Group with the position of the known tracksites in the Southern Alps (redrawn and modified after Avanzini et al., 2008). The blue arrow indicates the supposed position of the trampled surface. 202 Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 56 (2), 2017 spent in cleaning and enlarging the surface, tracks and was then used to create contour lines. The photos of the trackways were only rapidly studied in the field. However, surface were taken holding a tripod over the head and the entire surface, as well as each trackway and track, using the wide-angle lens. A total of 144 photos were was photographed with a DSLR camera (Canon 70D); used to generate the model (Fig. 3a, Supplementary data a Canon 18-135 mm STS lens or a wide-angle lens 1: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3113824) which (Canon 10-18 mm STS) were used to take the pictures to was then downscaled to 25 million faces to be easily used generate photogrammetric 3D models. Agisoft Photoscan to generate contour maps and outline drawings of the site Pro (v.1.2.3, www.agisoft.com) was used to generate, (Fig. 3b). Scaling was made using relatively short (from orient, refine and scale the models (Fig. 3b) following 10 to 50 cm) coded scale bars and two tape measures (> the procedures detailed in Mallison & Wings (2014). 10 m). The scaled mesh, exported Stanford PLY files, were then Due to the lack of time and the complex logistics, no processed in CloudComapre (www.cloudcomapre.com), casts were made on the site, but detailed 3D models of the where the meshes were accurately oriented through the site and the footprints, together with the raw photos used generation of a plane intersecting the surface, to avoid to generate them are made available as supplementary imprecise alignment due to the roughness and irregularity material, for future comparisons of these specimens to of the surface and later measured. Rhinoceros (v. 5.12) be made.
Fig. 3 - 3D models and outline drawings of main track site. a) Photogrammetric model of the surface. b) Schematic sketch of the trampled surface. M. Belvedere et alii - Dinosaur tracks from Mt. Pelmo 203
STUDIED MATERIAL the length of the trackway, supporting the hypothesis of a bipedal trackmaker. Only one track, Pelm.B5 (Fig. Footprint identification and weathering processes 4b, Supplementary data 3: https://doi.org/10.6084/ Twenty probable footprints have been recognized on m9.figshare.3113824), despite some deformation in the the exposed surface (Fig. 3, Supplementary data 1: https:// depth due to secondary karst weathering, shows some doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3113824), and attributed better details (preservation grade 1); it is tridactyl, to three, possibly four trackways, based on correlation longer than wide (PL = 21.3 cm, PW = 14.4) and slightly between dimensions, alignments, pace and morphologies. asymmetric (II^III = 17°, III^IV = 20°). Digit III is the However, the preservation of the tracks is generally poor longest and is quite elongated. All digits, especially and only a few cases provide morphological details. This digit III, have tapering endings, probably due to claw is mainly due to the location of the site on the lateral side marks and then highlighted by the weathering of the of a glacial cirque and to frost and solution weathering footprints, suggesting a theropod trackmaker. A possible processes locally reworking the limestone formation. impression of digit I and of the distal part of metatarsus All the tracks occur as negative, usually very shallow, may be present in the posterior part of the impression, epireliefs (impressions) that were originally infilled but it is very difficult, even looking at the 3D models, to with rock fragments. However, sporadically shallow discriminate whether they are true morphological features displacement rims are present that make them distinctive or deformation due to the erosion of the footprint. from karstic depressions, like kamenitze (Perna & Sauro, The elongated digit III and the narrow interdigital 1978; Lundberg, 2013). Other morphological characters angles are features of the ichnotaxon Grallator Hitchcock, allow us to exclude a karstic origin of these depressions: 1) 1845, a theropod ichnogenus very common in the most of them have an uneven bottom which is uncommon Early Jurassic. However, due to the preservation, it in typically flat-floored solution pans due to karstification; is impossible to reliably assign the Pelm.B to any it is also worth noting that, in most cases, it is not ichnotaxon and therefore we consider it an indeterminate possible to correlate the uneven bottom with any fissure theropod trackway. It is impossible to determine whether or fracture system on the surface, thus strengthening the the trackmaker of Pelm.B was different from that of non-karstic origin of the depressions; 2) the tracksite Pelm.A: the differences in the shape of the tracks (e.g., almost completely lacks other surface karst morphologies divarication angles differences) can be due either to real like karren or microkarren which are normally associated differences of the autopodia (i.e., different trackmaker) with karstic solution pans (Lundberg, 2012). Instead, frost or to extramorphological factors, e.g., the softness of weathering at this height in the Dolomites (3037 m a.s.l.) the substrate at the moment of the impression; the poor is expected to be the predominant weathering process preservation of both tracks prevents discrimination (Panizza, 2009), and responsible for the bad preservation between either of the two hypotheses. of the footprints, their secondary enlargement and infilling with angular centimetre-sized rock fragments (Walder Pelm.C - Three small elliptical depressions were & Hallet, 1986). Preservation grades are determined mapped. They have a longer axis of about 10 cm. The according to Belvedere & Farlow (2016). preservation is too poor to make any determination and even to discriminate if they are prints or only weathering Track description and interpretation structures. Some other depressions were mapped, but due Pelm.A1 - This footprint is located on the same surface to the preservation, and to the alignment with major cracks but far from the main site, on the northern edge of the of the surface, it was impossible to determine if they were studied area (Fig. 4a, Supplementary data 2: https://doi. tracks or erosional structures. org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3113824). It is a shallow tridactyl track, with all three digits preserved, but no clear internal Pelm.D - The trackway is composed of six large morphologies. These features give a preservation grade of impressions, elliptical or bell-shaped, longer than wide 1.5. The footprint seems to be slightly longer than wide, (average PL = 34 cm; PW = 20) and not very deep although digit III is incomplete and the total length cannot (Fig. 4c, Supplementary data 4: https://doi.org/10.6084/ be evaluated (approx. PL = 23 cm, PW = 20 cm), quite m9.figshare.3113824). In one case, on the external side symmetrical (II^III = 21.2°; III^IV = 21.7°), and, although of Pelm.D1, it is possible to observe a smaller, elliptical digits are tapering, no clear claw marks are present. (ML = 7.4 cm; MW = 8.3 cm) impression which has been This footprint, despite the poor preservation and the interpreted as the forelimb print of a quadrupedal animal lack of the distal digit III, is similar to the morphotype and highlights very marked heteropody. Unfortunately, described in the Coste dell’Anglone site (Petti et al., the trackway lies on a large crack in the surface which is 2011) and assigned to Kayentapus Welles, 1971. Despite very rough and deteriorated and which led to a maximum the similarities, however, we prefer not to assign an quality value of 0.5, as no internal morphologies are ichnotaxonomical attribution for Pelm.A1, which is preserved, but manus and pes prints are discernible. The therefore classified as an indeterminate theropod track. incompleteness of the trackway (which is quite narrow) prevents the quantification of the trackway gauge both Pelm.B - The trackway is composed of five, possibly using the PTR (Romano et al., 2007) and WAP/PL ratio six footprints aligned along the same direction, and very (Marty, 2008) methods. likely left by a bipedal dinosaur. Most of the footprints Although poorly preserved theropods may appear as are preserved merely as irregular depressions with no oval footprints, and despite the marked heteropody, these morphological details (grade 0). It is, however, possible tracks are attributed to a sauropodomorph trackmaker to measure pace and stride, which are quite regular for based on the shape and the overall quadrupedal 204 Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 56 (2), 2017
configuration, however, seems to be more wide-gauge than in the studied specimens, and there are no other recognizable morphological remarks, e.g. the curved digits with distinct claw marks both in the pes and in the manus, or the entaxony of the pes. Moreover, Tetrasauropus has almost always been reported from the Late Triassic; there is only one occurrence in the Early Jurassic of this ichnotaxon (Milàn et al., 2008), but the poor preservation of the studied tracks prevents any reliable comparison. Parabrontopodus isp. tracks have been recorded at Mt. Finonchio, from the younger upper supratidal unit of the Monte Zugna Formation (Avanzini et al., 2008). These tracks have similar preservation, a marked heteropody and comparable morphology of the pes. Given the similarities with the Mt. Finonchio footprints, Pelm.D tracks could be assigned to Parabrontopodus isp., although Parabrontopodus Lockley et al., 1994 has become a wastebasket ichnotaxon, including any poorly preserved, elliptical quadrupedal track. For these reasons, we prefer not to assign Pelm.D to any ichnotaxon and classify it as footprints of uncertain affinity whose configuration resembles a sauropod(morph).
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the small size of the trampled surface and the poor preservation, the tracks of the Mt. Pelmo site depict at least three different ichnomorphotypes occurring on the same level, suggesting the presence of theropods and quadruped dinosaurs. The association of Kayentapus-like theropod tracks and sauropodomorph tracks (Parabrontopodus Lockley et al., 1994; Lavinipes Avanzini et al., 2003) is very common in the Early Jurassic of Southern Alps and can be easily linked to the other sites of the peritidal unit the Monte Zugna Formation. The same association, in fact, even if more complete and of better preservation, occurs in the famous Lavini di Marco site, and in many other coeval localities of north-eastern Italy (Avanzini & Petti, 2008). It is not possible to assign a precise age to the Pelmo tracksite. Since the stratigraphic level of their finding is ascribed to the middle peritidal unit of the Calcari Grigi Group, the trampled surface can be Fig. 4 - 3D models and outline drawings of the best-preserved broadly referred to the middle portion of the Sinemurian tracks. Grey lines indicate cracks on the surface. a) Pelm.A1 isolated (e.g., Masetti et al., 2016). tridactyl footprint. b) Pelm.B5, deep tridactyl track, possibly part of The Mt. Pelmo tracksite finding is the first recorded a trackway; it was the first track discovered during the speleological north of the Valsugana Fault, in the so-called “northern investigations. c) Pelm.D1 impressions of the manus and pes of a sauropodomorph. Trento Platform” (Fig. 1), and considerably extends the northern limit of at least temporarily exposed lands that could be reached by dinosaurs. According to this hypothesis, supported by the ichnoassociation that the configuration of the footprints. Sauropodomorph tracks Pelmo tracksite could be attributed to deposits coeval are quite common in the coeval levels of the Monte Zugna to the middle peritidal unit of the Calcari Grigi Group, Formation of the Trento Platform, and at the Lavini di its finding expands the boundaries of the Calcari Grigi Marco site, a new ichnotaxon was erected: Lavinipes megatracksite (Avanzini et al., 2006). In terms of cheminii Avanzini et al., 2003. The tracks of the Pelmo palaeogeography, this extension is likely considerably site, however, do not show the peculiar features of larger than the present recorded distance to the other Lavinipes, such as the occurrence of clearly separated digit tracksites located in the southern Trento Platform because impressions, with a marked digit I, and the pentadactyl or of the tectonic shortening that occurred during Alpine semi-circular manus tracks. orogenesis along the Valsugana Fault, which is estimated A similar heteropody is also present in the ichnogenus by Schönborn (1999) in some 22 km. Tetrasauropus Ellenberger, 1972 (amended by D’Orazi It is very likely that future investigations on the same Porchetti & Nicosia, 2007). Tetrasauropus trackway surface or on other areas of the Mt. Pelmo outcrops of the M. Belvedere et alii - Dinosaur tracks from Mt. Pelmo 205
Calcari Grigi Group will provide more ichnological data, Lucas S.G., Spielmann J.A., Lockley M.G., Milner A.R.C. & possibly higher quality as to allow proper comparisons and Kirkland J.J. (eds). The Triassic-Jurassic Terrestrial Transition. better constrain the age of the site. Mt. Pelmo tracksite New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science Bulletin, 37: has the potential to contribute to increasing the knowledge 207-216. Belvedere M. & Farlow J. (2016). A Numerical Scale for Quantifying of the Early Jurassic terrestrial vertebrates in the northern the Quality of Preservation of Vertebrate Tracks. In Falkingham part of the Trento Platform, extending the size of the Early P.L., Marty D. & Richter A. (eds), Dinosaur Tracks: the next Jurassic megatracksites of the Southern Alps. steps, Indiana University Press: 92-99. Bosellini A. & Broglio Loriga C. (1971). 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Paleovertebrata, Memoire Extraordinaire 1972. 152 pp. Ichnology for the 21st century: (palaeo)biological traces towards Laboratoire de Paléontologie des Vertèbres, Montpellier, France. sustainable development”, held in Idanha-a-Nova (Portugal), 6-9 Franceschi M., Dal Corso J., Posenato R., Roghi G., Masetti D. & May 2016. Jenkyns H.C. (2014b). Early Pliensbachian (Early Jurassic) We are in debt with Mauro Olivotto and La Venta Esplorazioni C-isotope perturbation and the diffusion of the Lithiotis Geografiche for discovering the tracks and promptly sharing the Fauna: Insights from the western Tethys. Palaeogeography, information. We are very thankful to the Museo Palazzo Corte Metto Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 410: 255-263. (Auronzo di Cadore), the Museo V. Cazzetta (Selva di Cadore), the Franceschi M., Massironi M., Franceschi P. & Picotti V. (2014a). Associazione Amici del Museo V. Cazzetta, the Museo delle Regole Spatial analysis of thickness variability applied to an Early of Cortina d’Ampezzo for the financial and logistical support to the Jurassic carbonate platform in the central Southern Alps (Italy): field work. MB was supported by an Alexander von Humboldt- a tool to unravel syn-sedimentary faulting. Terra Nova, 26: Stiftung fellowship grant. Many thanks to Daniela Barbieri, Paolo 239-246. Tassi, Mauro Lampo, Chiara Siorpaes and Gianni Lovato, without Fugagnoli A. (2004). Trophic regimes of benthic foraminiferal whose help and work it would have been impossible to clean the assemblages in Lower Jurassic shallow water carbonates from trampled surface. We need to thank EliFriulia S.r.l. for the flexibility northeastern Italy (Calcari Grigi, Trento Platform, Venetian shown to meet our needs, too. Claudio Allois for the aerial figure of Prealps). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, the NE flanks of Mt. Pelmo. 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