A new sauropod-dominated tracksite from the Lower Cretaceous in central Ningxia, northwestern China, and the implications on palaeoenvironments
Abstract In recent years, continuous discoveries of dinosaur-dominated body fossil and ichnofossil assemblages have been made in northwestern China, which has gradually enriched the understanding of the inland faunas of East Asia during the late Early Cretaceous. The Yaoshan area, located at the nor...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Swiss Journal of Palaeontology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13358-025-00378-1 |
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| Summary: | Abstract In recent years, continuous discoveries of dinosaur-dominated body fossil and ichnofossil assemblages have been made in northwestern China, which has gradually enriched the understanding of the inland faunas of East Asia during the late Early Cretaceous. The Yaoshan area, located at the northeastern edge of the Liupanshan Basin (Central Ningxia) offers valuable insight into the ancient ecosystem and sedimentary conditions of the region. This paper presents the discovery of Early Cretaceous dinosaur tracks from the Madongshan Formation at the Yaoshan site. The dinosaur tracks discovered at the Yaoshan site include those from small sauropods (majority of pes length < 25 cm) and small ?bipedal dinosaur (9.3 to 20.4 cm in pes length), with theropod, ornithopod, and even sauropod affinities of varying sizes. The findings not only contribute to our understanding of the fauna that inhabited north-western China during the late Early Cretaceous, but also shows the interactions between the dinosaurs and microhabitats. |
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| ISSN: | 1664-2376 1664-2384 |