Differences in characteristics of dinosaur footprints in the late Early Cretaceous，Yishu Rifting Zone，Shandong Province
Peng Nan1,2 Liu Yongqing1 Kuang Hongwei1 Wu Qingzi3 Liu Hai1,4 Chen Jun1,2 Xu Huan1 Xu Jialin1,5 Wang Mingwei1,5 Wang Baohong1,5 Wang Kebai6 Chen Shuqing6 Zhang Yanxia6
1 Institute of Geology， Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences，Beijing 100037 2 School of the Earth Sciences and Natural Resources，China University of Geosciences(Beijing)，Beijing 100083 3 The No.8 Exploration Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources in Shandong，Rizhao 276800，Shandong 4 School of Geophysics and Resource of Yangtze University，Jingzhou 434023，Hubei 5 School of Geosciences of Yangtze University，Jingzhou 434023，Hubei
Abstract In recent years，abundant dinosaur footprint fossils have been discovered in the Lower Cretaceous(Dasheng Group)，the south of Yishu Rifting Zone，Shandong Province.Based on our research，many different features of these footprints，including footprint types，morphology, depth of footprints, etc.，have been noticed and listed as follows: (1)As for the footprint makers，theropod and ornithopod tracks were dominant in Junan County，while in Linshu，Tancheng and Donghai，the sauropod tracks were primary. (2) As for the footprint size，the theropod footprints from Junan were divided into Type Ⅰ and Type Ⅱ，but in Donghai，only the Type Ⅱ were present.In addition，the digit angle of theropod footprints in Junan is smaller than that in Donghai，which may be caused by different dinosaur species.The ornithopod footprints from Junan are smaller than those of Donghai.Moreover，the sauropod footprints are small in Tancheng，but are similar to those of Junan，Linshu and Donghai. (3)Because of the diverse humidity，viscosity and sediment granularity，the depth of footprints from the Donghai，Tancheng and Junan are various. Based on all the above-mentioned new discovery of dinosaur footprints in Zhucheng，east of the Yishu Rifting Zone，in early Early Cretaceous，we conclude that a large and prosperous dinosaur fauna lived in Yishu Rifting Zone in the Early Cretaceous.Furthermore，
the dinosaur footprints from Shandong Province in the Early Cretaceous were excellent materials for deeply research on distribution and evolution of the dinosaurs and palaeogeography in the Late Mesozoic of the North China and even the Northeast Asia.
Corresponding Authors:
Liu Yongqing，born in 1960，is a research professor of sedimentology，palaeogeology and palaeoecology at Institute of Geology，Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. email: liuyongqing@cags.ac.cn.Kuang Hongwei，born in 1969，is a professor of sedimentology at Institute of Geology，Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences.E-mail: kuanghw@126.com.
About author: Peng Nan，born in 1983，majors in palaeontology and stratigraphy，and is engaged in sedimentary geology and basin analysis. email: pengnan19830120@126.com
Cite this article:
Peng Nan,Liu Yongqing,Kuang Hongwei et al. Differences in characteristics of dinosaur footprints in the late Early Cretaceous，Yishu Rifting Zone，Shandong Province[J]. JOPC, 2013, 15(4): 517-528.
Peng Nan,Liu Yongqing,Kuang Hongwei et al. Differences in characteristics of dinosaur footprints in the late Early Cretaceous，Yishu Rifting Zone，Shandong Province[J]. JOPC, 2013, 15(4): 517-528.
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