Research on Dinoasur Footprints in Zizhou, Shaanxi Province, China

AbstractIn recent years, the discoveries of dinosaur footprints have been successively reported from Dianshi Town, Zizhou City, Shaanxi Province. The footprints include the tracks of theropod, ornithopod and sauropod as well. Actually, the dinosaur footprints were found by local inhabitants much earlier in history, but not for science. The slabs bearing the dinosaur footprints were collected for domestic use, such as building stones, millstones, cellar covers, sheepfold fences, windlass holders, etc. This paper is to describe the dinosaur footprints on both sides of three slabs used for cellar covers, sheepfold fences and windlass holders by the local people. 24 dinosaur footprints and 4 trackways have been recognized and all of them belong to theropod. Four kinds of dinosaur footprints are identified, including 1 new ichnogenus and 2 new ichnospecies: (1) Shanbeipus caudatus ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov.; (2) Pengxianpus yulinensis ichnosp. nov.; (3) Eubrontes ichnosp; (4) Kayentapus ichnosp. Dinosaur‐footprint‐bearing beds were initially identified as the Fuxian Formation of the Lower Jurassic. Multipal dinosaur footprints associated with fragment plant fossils suggest a humid fluvio‐lacustrine environment setting in the Ordos Basin during the early period of the Jurassic.