A basal sauropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of Morocco

Allain, Ronan; Aquesbi, Najat; Dejax, Jean; Meyer, Christian A.; Monbaron, Michel; Christian, Michel; Richir, Philippe; Rochdy, Mohammed; Russell, Dale A.; Taquet, Philippe

doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2004.03.001

Cited by 50 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…These dinosaurs are quadrupedal and produced the largest dinosaur footprints known (Lockley et al 2007). The sauropod manus and pes morphology is variable in either digit pads or size and position of claws (Allain et al 2004;Milàn et al 2005 (Haubold 1986). Pseudotetrasauropus is a problematic name, which was revised by Lockley et al (2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic Shemshak Group in the Central Alborz Mountains (Northern Iran)

Abbassi¹,

Madanipour²

2014

Geologica Carpathica

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Abstract:The Shemshak Group includes alternating layers of coal-bearing shale and siliciclastic sediments in the Baladeh area in the central Alborz Mountains of northern Iran. A diverse and abundant Jurassic dinosaur footprint assemblage is now recognized in the group, which is Toarcian to Bajocian in age in the northern Baladeh. This is the first report of a diverse dinosaur ichnoassemblage from Iran that includes the footprints of sauropods. These tracks can be assigned to three groups of trackmakers: theropods, ornithopods and sauropods. Those of theropods are typically tridactyl in shape, their trackways reflecting bipedal movement. Theropod footprints are very abundant in both northern and western Baladeh. The studied theropod tracks themselves are divided into three major dimensional groups. The medium sized footprints (footprint length, 11-15 cm) are abundant and have a stride length, digit and pace angles like the coelurosaurs footprints and trackway. Theropod footprints were identified as similar to Schizograllator otariensis, Talmontopus tersi and Wildeichnus isp. Ornithopod footprints are tridactyl with rounded and thick toes and belong to bipeds. Some didactyl imprints were also observed. Skin imprints were well preserved in these footprints. The ornithopod tracks resemble Jiayinosorupus johnsoni, as well as Velociraptorichnus sichuanensis for didactyl footprints. Sauropod footprints found in the western part of Baladeh are assigned here to Eosauropus isp., which are pentadactyl pes imprints of a quadruped. The assemblage from Iran resembles similar associations from eastern Asia.Key words: Jurassic, Iran, Alborz Mountains, ichnology, Dinosaur. Materials and methodsThe geometry of the studied footprints was examind using the methods of Thulborn 1990. These dimensions are footprint length (FL), footprint width (FW), pace angulations (PA), stride (S), trackway width (TW) and digit length (DL). The shape of footprints and trackway patterns were mapped on the transparent papers. Some footprints were sampled; including six footprints of horizons 2-4 of the Royan section and two footprints of the uppermost layer of horizon 2 of the Bol-Yasel section. Four plaster casts prepared in the field from the well-preserved footprints of the Royan section include footprint numbers of f [11][12] in horizon 4 and 5a 1 from the horizon 5. These samples were deposited in the Geological Museum of the Department of Geology of the University of Zanjan, with code numbers GMZU09-40-49.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic Shemshak Group in the Central Alborz Mountains (Northern Iran)

Abbassi¹,

Madanipour²

2014

Geologica Carpathica

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“…Juste sous les gypses, gisement supérieur à ossements de dinosauriens inclus dans une matrice marno-péli-tique analogue à celle du précédent. C'est là qu'ont été trouvés les ossements du sauropode Tazoudasaurus (Allain et al 2004). H. Série pélito-gréseuse sommitale à matériel plutôt fin, non étudiée (≥ 100 m).…”

Section: Succession Lithostratigraphiqueunclassified

“…La succession sédimentaire de Toundounte est examinée sous ses aspects stratigraphiques et sédimentologiques, en relations avec le gisement de dinosaures à Tazoudasaurus naimi (Allain et al 2004) contenu dans sa partie supérieure. L'objectif de l'étude est double: -préciser l'âge des dépôts situés dans un contexte paléogéo-graphique et structural complexe.…”

unclassified

Stratigraphie et paléoenvironnement des dépôts volcano-détritiques à dinosauriens du Jurassique inférieur de Toundoute (Province de Ouarzazate, Haut-Atlas – Maroc)

Christian

Monbaron

Allain

et al. 2005

Eclogae geol. Helv.

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“…The historical controversy is synthesized in Monbaron (1988). Since the 1980s, new paleontological discoveries with significant stratigraphical implications were made, especially for vertebrates (Monbaron and Taquet, 1981;Sigogneau-Russell et al, 1988, 1990Monbaron et al, 1999;Allain et al, 2004;Haddoumi et al, 2008Haddoumi et al, , 2010 and microfossils (Charrière, 1992;Charrière et al, 1994Charrière et al, , 2005. Together with sedimentology study, they also provide new paleoenvironmental and paleogeographical data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Guelb el Ahmar (Bathonian, Anoual Syncline, eastern Morocco): First continental flora and fauna including mammals from the Middle Jurassic of Africa

et al. 2016

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We report the discovery in Mesozoic continental "red beds" of Anoual Syncline, Morocco, of the new Guelb el Ahmar (GEA) fossiliferous sites in the Bathonian Anoual Formation. They produced one of the richest continental biotic assemblages from the Jurassic of Gondwana, including plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. Both the sedimentological facies and the biotic assemblage indicate a lacustrine depositional environment. The flora is represented by tree trunks (three families), pollen (13 species, five major clades) and charophytes. It suggests local forests and humid (non-arid) conditions. The vertebrate fauna is dominated by microvertebrates recovered by screening-washing. It is rich and diverse, with at least 29 species of all major groups (osteichthyans, lissamphibians, chelonians, diapsids, mammals), except chondrichthyans. It includes the first mammals discovered in the Middle Jurassic of Arabo-Africa. The GEA sites yielded some of the earliest known representatives of osteoglossiform fishes, albanerpetontid and caudate amphibians, squamates (scincomorphans, anguimorphan), cladotherian mammals, and likely choristoderes. The choristoderes, if confirmed, are the first found in Gondwana, the albanerpetontid and caudatan amphibians are among the very few known in Gondwana, and the anguimorph lizard is the first known from the Mesozoic of Gondwana. Mammals (Amphitheriida, cf. Dryolestida) remain poorly known, but are the earliest cladotherians known in Gondwana. The GEA biotic assemblage is characterized by the presence of Pangean and Laurasian (especially European) taxa, and quasi absence of Gondwanan taxa. The paleobiogeographical analysis suggests either a major fossil bias in Gondwana during the Middle Jurassic, and an overall vicariant Pangean context for the GEA assemblage, or alternatively, noticeable Laurasian (European) affinities and North-South dispersals. The close resemblance between the Bathonian faunas of GEA and Britain is remarkable, even in a Pangean context. The similarity between the local Anoual Syncline Guelb el Ahmar and Ksar Metlili faunas raises questions on the ?Berriasian age of the latter.

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A basal sauropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of Morocco

Cited by 50 publications

References 22 publications

Dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic Shemshak Group in the Central Alborz Mountains (Northern Iran)

Dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic Shemshak Group in the Central Alborz Mountains (Northern Iran)

Stratigraphie et paléoenvironnement des dépôts volcano-détritiques à dinosauriens du Jurassique inférieur de Toundoute (Province de Ouarzazate, Haut-Atlas – Maroc)

Guelb el Ahmar (Bathonian, Anoual Syncline, eastern Morocco): First continental flora and fauna including mammals from the Middle Jurassic of Africa

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