Sauropod dinosaur tracks from South America: perspectives and paleobiological aspects

Ichnology gives relevant information to understand the paleobiology of sauropod dinosaurs, particularly in relation with two main aspects: locomotion (stance, gait, speed, centers of mass) and behavior (gregarious behavior, 'herd structure', habitats and sedimentary environments). Until no...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: González Riga, Bernardo Javier
Formato: Objeto de conferencia Resumen
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2010
Materias:
Ciencias Naturales
Paleontología
Paleobiology
Sauropod
South America
Acceso en línea:http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/16662
Aporte de:
SEDICI (UNLP) de Universidad Nacional de La Plata
id I19-R120-10915-16662
record_format dspace
institution Universidad Nacional de La Plata
institution_str I-19
repository_str R-120
collection SEDICI (UNLP)
language Inglés
topic Ciencias Naturales
Paleontología
Paleobiology
Sauropod
South America
spellingShingle Ciencias Naturales
Paleontología
Paleobiology
Sauropod
South America
González Riga, Bernardo Javier
Sauropod dinosaur tracks from South America: perspectives and paleobiological aspects
topic_facet Ciencias Naturales
Paleontología
Paleobiology
Sauropod
South America
description Ichnology gives relevant information to understand the paleobiology of sauropod dinosaurs, particularly in relation with two main aspects: locomotion (stance, gait, speed, centers of mass) and behavior (gregarious behavior, 'herd structure', habitats and sedimentary environments). Until now, these studies have been applied to the best known types of tracks and conclusions have been extended to other sauropods, regardless of the extraordinary diversity of this clade. In South America, some titanosaur tracksites from Bolivia and Argentina (Humaca, and Agua del Choique, respectively) exhibit sets of parallel trackways suggesting that the trackmakers traveled in social groups. Only two ichnotaxa have been described in South America: Sauropodichnus giganteus Calvo (Candeleros Formation, early Cenomanian of Neuquén) and Titanopodus mendozensis González Riga and Calvo (Loncoche Formation, late Campanian-early Maastrichtian of Mendoza). Titanopodus trackways represent an excellent case study of the widegauge style of locomotion produced by Aeolosaurini or Saltasaurinae titanosaurs. In this case, speed of the trackmakers was calculated throughout accurate estimations of hip height and gleno-acetabular distance, using for comparison an articulated titanosaurian specimen collected in correlative strata (Allen Formation, Neuquén Basin). Traditionally, the presence of wide-gauge trackways in titanosaurs was associated to a low heteropody (e.g., manus:pes ratio between 1:1 to 1:2). However, Titanopodus trackways show a moderate heteropody (∼1:2,6) associated with very wide trackways indicating that this general interpretation must be revised. It is probable that both heteropody and trackway ratio (ratio of the track width relative to the total trackway width) show variations during ontogenetic stages. Moreover, from an evolutionary perspective, variations of these parameters are related with the amazing diversity of the titanosaurs (represented by around 48 genera), a fact certainly ignored by most ichnological analyses.
format Objeto de conferencia
Resumen
author González Riga, Bernardo Javier
author_facet González Riga, Bernardo Javier
author_sort González Riga, Bernardo Javier
title Sauropod dinosaur tracks from South America: perspectives and paleobiological aspects
title_short Sauropod dinosaur tracks from South America: perspectives and paleobiological aspects
title_full Sauropod dinosaur tracks from South America: perspectives and paleobiological aspects
title_fullStr Sauropod dinosaur tracks from South America: perspectives and paleobiological aspects
title_full_unstemmed Sauropod dinosaur tracks from South America: perspectives and paleobiological aspects
title_sort sauropod dinosaur tracks from south america: perspectives and paleobiological aspects
publishDate 2010
url http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/16662
work_keys_str_mv AT gonzalezrigabernardojavier sauropoddinosaurtracksfromsouthamericaperspectivesandpaleobiologicalaspects
bdutipo_str Repositorios
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