Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications

Autores
Moreno, Karen; de Valais, Silvina; Blanco, Nicolás; Tomlinson, Andrew J.; Jacay, Javier; Calvo, Jorge O.
Año de publicación
2012
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
In modern terrestrial ecosystems, the population size of large predators is low, and a similar pattern has usually been assumed for dinosaurs. However, fossil finds of monospecific, large theropod accumulations suggest that population dynamics were more complex. Here, we report two Early Cretaceous tracksites dominated by large theropod footprints, in Querulpa Chico (Peru) and Chacarilla (Chile). The two sites correspond to distinct depositional environmentstidal basin/delta (Querulpa Chico) and meandering river (Chacarilla)-with both subject to extensive arid or semiarid palaeoclimatic conditions. Although most trackways show no preferred orientation, a clear relationship between two trackmakers is observed in one instance. This observation, coupled with the high abundance of trackways belonging to distinct large theropods, and the exclusion of tracks of other animals, suggests some degree of grouping behaviour. The presence of freshwater sources in a dry climate and perhaps social behaviour such as pair bonding may have promoted interactions between large carnivores. Further, the occurrence of these two tracksites confirms that large theropod dinosaurs, possibly spinosaurids and/or carcharodontosaurids, existed on the western margin of Gondwana as early as the earliest Cretaceous.
Fil: Moreno, Karen. Universidad Austral de Chile; Chile
Fil: de Valais, Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro; Argentina
Fil: Blanco, Nicolás. Servicio Nacional de Geologia y Mineria; Chile
Fil: Tomlinson, Andrew J.. Servicio Nacional de Geologia y Mineria; Chile
Fil: Jacay, Javier. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Perú
Fil: Calvo, Jorge O.. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Argentina
Materia
BEHAVIOUR
CHILE
EARLY CRETACEOUS
FOOTPRINTS
GONDWANA
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY
PERU
THEROPODA
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/195158
Acceder
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spelling Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implicationsMoreno, Karende Valais, SilvinaBlanco, NicolásTomlinson, Andrew J.Jacay, JavierCalvo, Jorge O.BEHAVIOURCHILEEARLY CRETACEOUSFOOTPRINTSGONDWANAPALAEOGEOGRAPHYPERUTHEROPODAhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1In modern terrestrial ecosystems, the population size of large predators is low, and a similar pattern has usually been assumed for dinosaurs. However, fossil finds of monospecific, large theropod accumulations suggest that population dynamics were more complex. Here, we report two Early Cretaceous tracksites dominated by large theropod footprints, in Querulpa Chico (Peru) and Chacarilla (Chile). The two sites correspond to distinct depositional environmentstidal basin/delta (Querulpa Chico) and meandering river (Chacarilla)-with both subject to extensive arid or semiarid palaeoclimatic conditions. Although most trackways show no preferred orientation, a clear relationship between two trackmakers is observed in one instance. This observation, coupled with the high abundance of trackways belonging to distinct large theropods, and the exclusion of tracks of other animals, suggests some degree of grouping behaviour. The presence of freshwater sources in a dry climate and perhaps social behaviour such as pair bonding may have promoted interactions between large carnivores. Further, the occurrence of these two tracksites confirms that large theropod dinosaurs, possibly spinosaurids and/or carcharodontosaurids, existed on the western margin of Gondwana as early as the earliest Cretaceous.Fil: Moreno, Karen. Universidad Austral de Chile; ChileFil: de Valais, Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro; ArgentinaFil: Blanco, Nicolás. Servicio Nacional de Geologia y Mineria; ChileFil: Tomlinson, Andrew J.. Servicio Nacional de Geologia y Mineria; ChileFil: Jacay, Javier. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; PerúFil: Calvo, Jorge O.. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaPolish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology2012-04info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/195158Moreno, Karen; de Valais, Silvina; Blanco, Nicolás; Tomlinson, Andrew J.; Jacay, Javier; et al.; Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications; Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology; Acta Palaeontologica Polonica; 57; 1; 4-2012; 73-830567-79201732-2421CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.4202/app.2010.0119info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-09-29T09:54:43Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/195158instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-09-29 09:54:43.905CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications
title Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications
spellingShingle Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications
Moreno, Karen
BEHAVIOUR
CHILE
EARLY CRETACEOUS
FOOTPRINTS
GONDWANA
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY
PERU
THEROPODA
title_short Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications
title_full Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications
title_fullStr Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications
title_full_unstemmed Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications
title_sort Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Moreno, Karen
de Valais, Silvina
Blanco, Nicolás
Tomlinson, Andrew J.
Jacay, Javier
Calvo, Jorge O.
author Moreno, Karen
author_facet Moreno, Karen
de Valais, Silvina
Blanco, Nicolás
Tomlinson, Andrew J.
Jacay, Javier
Calvo, Jorge O.
author_role author
author2 de Valais, Silvina
Blanco, Nicolás
Tomlinson, Andrew J.
Jacay, Javier
Calvo, Jorge O.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv BEHAVIOUR
CHILE
EARLY CRETACEOUS
FOOTPRINTS
GONDWANA
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY
PERU
THEROPODA
topic BEHAVIOUR
CHILE
EARLY CRETACEOUS
FOOTPRINTS
GONDWANA
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY
PERU
THEROPODA
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv In modern terrestrial ecosystems, the population size of large predators is low, and a similar pattern has usually been assumed for dinosaurs. However, fossil finds of monospecific, large theropod accumulations suggest that population dynamics were more complex. Here, we report two Early Cretaceous tracksites dominated by large theropod footprints, in Querulpa Chico (Peru) and Chacarilla (Chile). The two sites correspond to distinct depositional environmentstidal basin/delta (Querulpa Chico) and meandering river (Chacarilla)-with both subject to extensive arid or semiarid palaeoclimatic conditions. Although most trackways show no preferred orientation, a clear relationship between two trackmakers is observed in one instance. This observation, coupled with the high abundance of trackways belonging to distinct large theropods, and the exclusion of tracks of other animals, suggests some degree of grouping behaviour. The presence of freshwater sources in a dry climate and perhaps social behaviour such as pair bonding may have promoted interactions between large carnivores. Further, the occurrence of these two tracksites confirms that large theropod dinosaurs, possibly spinosaurids and/or carcharodontosaurids, existed on the western margin of Gondwana as early as the earliest Cretaceous.
Fil: Moreno, Karen. Universidad Austral de Chile; Chile
Fil: de Valais, Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro; Argentina
Fil: Blanco, Nicolás. Servicio Nacional de Geologia y Mineria; Chile
Fil: Tomlinson, Andrew J.. Servicio Nacional de Geologia y Mineria; Chile
Fil: Jacay, Javier. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Perú
Fil: Calvo, Jorge O.. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Argentina
description In modern terrestrial ecosystems, the population size of large predators is low, and a similar pattern has usually been assumed for dinosaurs. However, fossil finds of monospecific, large theropod accumulations suggest that population dynamics were more complex. Here, we report two Early Cretaceous tracksites dominated by large theropod footprints, in Querulpa Chico (Peru) and Chacarilla (Chile). The two sites correspond to distinct depositional environmentstidal basin/delta (Querulpa Chico) and meandering river (Chacarilla)-with both subject to extensive arid or semiarid palaeoclimatic conditions. Although most trackways show no preferred orientation, a clear relationship between two trackmakers is observed in one instance. This observation, coupled with the high abundance of trackways belonging to distinct large theropods, and the exclusion of tracks of other animals, suggests some degree of grouping behaviour. The presence of freshwater sources in a dry climate and perhaps social behaviour such as pair bonding may have promoted interactions between large carnivores. Further, the occurrence of these two tracksites confirms that large theropod dinosaurs, possibly spinosaurids and/or carcharodontosaurids, existed on the western margin of Gondwana as early as the earliest Cretaceous.
publishDate 2012
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2012-04
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/195158
Moreno, Karen; de Valais, Silvina; Blanco, Nicolás; Tomlinson, Andrew J.; Jacay, Javier; et al.; Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications; Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology; Acta Palaeontologica Polonica; 57; 1; 4-2012; 73-83
0567-7920
1732-2421
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/195158
identifier_str_mv Moreno, Karen; de Valais, Silvina; Blanco, Nicolás; Tomlinson, Andrew J.; Jacay, Javier; et al.; Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications; Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology; Acta Palaeontologica Polonica; 57; 1; 4-2012; 73-83
0567-7920
1732-2421
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.4202/app.2010.0119
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 13.070432

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