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Sauropod Tracks in the Early Jurassic of Poland

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Sauropod Tracks in the Early Jurassic of Poland Sauropod tracks in the Early Jurassic of Poland GERARD cIpnuŃsru Gierliński, G. 1991. Sauropod tracks in the Early Jurassic of Poland. - Acta Palaeonto- logica P olonica 42, 4, 533-538. After the discovery of Early Jurassic sauropod tracks in northern Italy, Polish Liassic strata revealed a second comparably early record of sauropod footpńnts in Europe. In comparison with thę Italian material, described tracks seem to be left by juvenile or small primitive sauropods,presumably 4.4 m and 5.5 m long. Key w o rd s: Sauropoda,tracks, Early Jurassic,Poland. Gerard Gierliński, Geological Museum of the Polish Geological Institute, ul. Rako- wiecka 4, PL-00-975 Warszawa, Poland. Introduction The specimensreported herein are the first sauropodomorphtracks discoveredin the Liassic deposits of the Holy Cross Mountains, central Poland, thus adding to the previous ichnological record of theropods and ornithischians in that region (e.9., Gierliński 1991, 1995b, 1996).Footprints were found in June of 1997, on two fallen slabs of thę yellowish gray,fine-grained sandstone, below the exposurelocated along Kamionka River, in Gromadzice (5 km southof the town of ostrowiec Swiętokrzyski). The possible track-bearingstrata represent early Hettangianfluvial plain deposits of the Zagaje Formation, and/or the middle Hettangian deltaic plain deposits of the SkłobyFormation (G. Pienkowski personalcommunication; see Pieńkowski 1991for generalgeological data). Description The specimen Muz. PIG 1560.II.60(Fig. 1,Ą) comprises a trackway fragment, naturalcasts of the left and the right pes-manusset. Cast of the left pes impression is broken,being incompleteposteriorly. Trackway Seemsto be nźIffow-gaugeSensu Farlow (1992).Ratio of pace length (measuredbętween the most anteriorpoints of 534 Sauropod trącks: GIERLŃSKI A - Fig. 1. (?)Parabrontopodussp. from the Hettangian of Gromadzice, Poland. A. Muz. pIG 1560.tr.60. B. Muz. PIG 1560.II.61.Supposed trackway midline marked by a broken line. Scale bars - 10 cm. ACTA PALAEONTOLOGTCA POLONICA (42) (4) 535 tc& Fig.2. Polish sauropodtrack in comparisonwith the Jurassicsauropodomorph tracks and thosetraditionally suspectedof sauropodomorphorigrn. A. Muz. PIG 1560.[.61. B. UncataloguedPąrabrontopodus track from the Morrison Formation of Rancho Del Rio, Colorado. C. Navahopusfalcipollex Baird, 1980 (MNA P3339IGŻ.70921) from the Navajo Formation of Kaibito Plateau,Arizona. D. Otozoum sp. (CU-MWC 181.10)from the Kayenta-NavajoFormation, near Moab, Utah. Scale bars - 10 cm. pes) to pes length equals L.34.Ratio of pace length (measuredbetween the geome- trical mid-points of manus)to manus length (measuredbetween the anteriormostand posteriormostpoints of impression) equals 6.20. There is no space between the supposedtrackway midline and the pes medial margin, while the ratio of intermanus distanceto manus width equals 1.9. Pes is longer than wide, 30.5 cm long, 20 cm wide anteriorly and 10 cm wide posteriorly. Manus is semicircular, broader than long, 13 cm wide and 8 cm long, being significantly smallerthan pes. The manusis situatedanterolaterally to the pes. The specimenMuz. PIG 1560.II.61(Fig. 18) is a naturalcast of a rightpes-manus set, which shows similar featuresto those of Muz. PIG 1560.II.60.The only differences concema slightĘ smallerpes (24.5 cm long),nalTower manus ( 11 .5 cm wide, while 8 cm long), and the manus located anteromediallyto the pes. There are also four marks along the anteńor pes margin, which couId be producedby claws at digits I, II, m and IV. Discussion The entiretrack featuresstrongly resemble a sauropodtrack pattern(Fig. 2A, B), while the absenceof interpedesdistance sensuleonardi (1987)coffesponds with the narrow- gauge trackway morphotype of PąrabrontopodusLockley, Farlow, & Meyer, 1994. 536 Sauropod tracks : GIERLINSKI However, the assignment of these tracks to ichnogenus Parabrontopodu,rseems tentativeuntil a sufticiently completetrackway is found. The Gromadzicetracks are clearly distinguishedfromprosauropod tracks and those traditionallyconsidered as prosauropodichnites. Navahoplłs Baird, 1980 (Fig. 2C)' although proposed to have 'mammaloid' affinities by Lockley et al. (1994), is here thoughtto be a prosauropodtrail, as ońginally believed by Baird. Navahopus differs from the Gromadzice prints in having betterdęfined digits, a broaderpes and a wider trackway. The same features also distinguish purportedAfrican prosauropodtracks TetrasauroprzsEllenberger, 1972 from the Polish footprints.Differences betweenthe describedtracks and allegedbipedal prosauropodfootprints Otozoum Httchcock, 1847 (Fig. 2D) areeven greater. Unlike sauropodomorphtracks, Otozoum prints have distinct digits with phalangeal pads well developedand the hypexes deeply located,near the basesof relatively long toes. Moreover, Otozoum footprints from the Navajo Formation near Moab, Utah (Lockley 1990) show extremely naffow trackways with the pes directed slightly inwards, featuresunusual among sauropodomorphtracks. Thus, Otozoummay be an ornithishiantrace (Thulborn t990.'Gierliński 1995a).The inward pes rotation,typical for ornithischiantracks, is also presentin anotheralleged prosauropodtrack, referred to PseudotetrasauroprzsEllenberger, 1972, from the Late Triassic of the western United States(Lockley & Hunt 1995). In contrast,the specimen Muz. PIG 1560.II.61bears a strong resemblanceto the juvenile sauropodtrack of Pąrąbrontopodus,from the Late Jurassic tracksiteRancho Del Rio in Colorado (Fig. 2B). This does not necessarilymean that Polish tracks were made by juvenile dinosaurs.An alternativeexplanation of their relatively small sizes (24.5cm and 30.5 cm long) may be also proposed. The early Sinemurian (G. Leonardi personal communication 1997) ichnofauna of the Lavini di Marco tracksitein northernItaly consistsof various-sizedtheropod tracks,large (up to 40 cm long) ornithopodfooĘrints, and 45-50 cm long sauropod tracks (Lanzinger & Leonardi 1991; Leonardi & Avanzini 1994; Dalla Vecchia re94). Polish sauropodtracks are about half the size of the Italian ones. Interestingly, Moyenisauropus karaszevskii Gier|iński, I99I (attributedto IguanodontiaSensu Sereno 1986)from the Polish late Hettangiansite of Gliniany Las, reach a lengthof 26 cm, and are likewise markedly smaller than the presumably iguanodontian ornithopodtracks of Lavini di Marco. Consequently,Polish sauropodsand iguano- dontians might be diminutive, possibly more primitive, relatives of the Italian trackmakers.The Gromadzice footprint sizes allow estimatesof the lengths of their trackmakersas approximately4.4mand 5.5 m. Thus,they are 32Voandl1Vo smaller, respectively,than the supposedlength of the primitive sauropodVulcąnodołz Raath, r972. Abbreviations of cited repositories: CU-MWC - University of ColoradoAvlu- seum of Western Colorado Joint Collection, Denver, Colorado; MNA - Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, Anzona; Muz. PIG - Geological Museum of the Polish Geological Institute,Warsaw, Poland. ACTA PALAEONTOLOGTCA POLONICA (4f) (4) 531 Acknowledgements I would like to thank Gtzegorz Pier{kowski, Marcin Ryszkiewicz,Tadelsz Ptaszyński, and Marcin Żarskt for field assistance. I am grateful to Martin Lockley for the otozoum replica, and Michael Morales and Grace kby for the plaster cast of Navahopus. Thanks are also due to Giuseppe Leonardi and James Farlow for their valuable comments to improve this paper. References Baird, D. 1980.A prosauropoddinosaur trackway from the Navajo Sandstone(Lower Jurassic)of Arizona. In: L.L. Jacobs (ed.),Aspects of VertebrateHistory, f19-230. Museum of Northern Arizona Press, Flagstaff. Dalla Vecchia, F.M. 1994.Jurassic and Cretaceoussauropod evidence in the southernAlps and Dinarids. In: M.G. Lockley, V.F. dos Santos,C.A. Meyer, & A. Hunt (eds),Aspects of SauropodPaleobiology. - GaiaI0,65-:73. Ellenberger,P.tg7Ż'Contribution ilaclassification desPistes de Vertóbrós duTrias: les typesdu Stormberg Afrique du Sud (I). - Palaeovertebrata,Mćmoire ćxtraordinaire, |_l17 . Farlow, J.O. I99f . Sauropodtracks and trackmakers:integrating the ichnological and skeletal records.- Zubia 10,89-138. Gierliński, G' 1991. New dinosaurichnotaxa from the Early Jurassic of the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland. - P al aeo g e o g r aphy, P aIae o c limatoI o gy, P al aeo e c ol ogy 85, I37-l 48. Gierliński, G. 1995a.Thyreophoran affiniĘ of otozoumtracks. PrzeglądGeologiczny 43,If3_|f5. Gierliński, G. 1995b.New theropodtracksfromthe Early Jurassicstrata of Poland.- PrzeglądGeologiczny 43,931-934. Gierliński, G. 1996.Avialian theropodtracks from the Early Jurassic strataof Poland. - Zubia t4,79_87 , Hitchcock, E. 184'1.Description of two new species of fossil footmarks found in Massachusetts and Connecticut,or of the animals that made them.- American Journal of Science 4,46-57 . Lanzinger, M. & Leonardi, G. 1991.Piste di dinosauri del Giurassico inferiore ai Lavini di Marco (Trento). 1z:G. Muscio (ed.),Dinosaurs - il Mondo dei Dinosauri,S9-94. Kaleidos,Trento. Leonardi,G. (ed.)1987 .GlossaryandManualofTetrapodFootprintPalaeoichnology.T5pp.Departamento Nacional da ProdugńoMineral, Brasilia. Leonardi, G. & Avanzini, M. 1994.Dinosauń in ltalia. In: G. Ligabue (ed.)'il Tempo dei Dinosauń' - Le ScienzeQuaderni 7 6, 69-8I. Lockley, M.G. 1990.Tracking the ńse of dinosaursin easteryUtah. - CanyonLegacy 6,f_8. Lockley, M.G., Farlow, J.O.,& Meyer, C.A.1994. Brontopoduso;nd Parabrontopodusichnogen. nov. and the significance of wide- and narrow-gaugesauropod trackways. In: M.G. Lockley, V.F. dos Santos, C.A. Meyer, & A. Hunt (eds),Aspects of SauropodPaleobiology.
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