Eubrontes

Eubrontes dinosaur track from the Jurassic of Connecticut, USA. Trace fossils are any indirect evidence of ancient life. They refer to features in rocks that do not represent parts of the body of a once-living organism. Traces include footprints, tracks, trails, burrows, borings, and bitemarks. Body fossils provide information about the morphology of ancient organisms, while trace fossils provide information about the behavior of ancient life forms. Interpreting trace fossils and determination of the identity of a trace maker can be straightforward (for example, a dinosaur footprint represents walking behavior) or not. Sediments that have trace fossils are said to be bioturbated. Burrowed textures in sedimentary rocks are referred to as bioturbation. Trace fossils have scientific names assigned to them, in the same style & manner as living organisms or body fossils. This track was made by a theropod, a group of small to large, carnivorous, bipedal dinosaurs. The specimen comes from a Triassic to Jurassic terrestrial sedimentary succession that filled up a half graben, many of which occur along America's eastern seaboard. Such half-graben basins formed during the Triassic as the Pangaea supercontinent tried to rift apart, but failed. Pangaea successfully broke apart during the Jurassic. Stratigraphy: East Berlin Formation, Newark Supergroup, Lower Jurassic Locality: unrecorded / undisclosed site at or near the town of Rocky Hill, central Connecticut, USA Info. at: mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=CTJeb%3B0 and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eubrontes

Comparison of the digit III/footprint length ratio for Eubrontes of the same size in America, Europe, and China. American specimens: (a) Eubrontes giganteus AC 15/3, type specimens (Lockley 2009); (b) Eubrontes giganteus AC 45/1 (Olsen et al. 1998); (c) Utah Eubrontes 1 (Lockley et al. 1998); (d) Utah Eubrontes 2 (T3) (Lockley et al. 2021); (e) Connecticut Eubrontes (Ishigaki and Fujisaki 1989); (f) Eubrontes (?) glenrosensis (Adams et al. 2010); European specimen: (g) Eubrontes veillonensis (de Lapparent and Montenat 1967); Chinese specimens: (h) Eubrontes pareschequier (Xing et al. 2009a, 2014b); (i) Eubrontes zigongensis (Xing et al. 2014c); (j) Eubrontes platypus (Hitchcock 1858) Xiyang specimen (Yang and Yang 1987); (k) Eubrontes monax (Zhen et al. 1986; Lockley et al. 2013); (l) Eubrontes xiyangensis (Zhen et al. 1986; Lockley et al. 2013); (m) Changpeipus carbonicus (Xing et al. 2014b); (n) Eubrontes nianpanshanensis (Xing et al. 2016b); (o) Lufengopus dongi (Lü et al. 2006; Xing et al. 2014d); (p) Eubrontes (?) glenrosensis Hailiutu specimen (Li et al. 2010; Xing et al. 2021); (q) Lockleypus luanpingeris (Xing et al. 2018e); (r) Chapus lockleyi (Li et al. 2006); (s) Asianopodus pulvinicalyx (Matsukawa et al. 2005); (t) Asianopodus robustus (Li et al. 2011; Lockley et al. 2018); (u) Eubrontes nobitai (This study); (v) Eubrontes HX-T3 (Xing et al. 2015b); (w) Eubrontes BJA-T4 (Xing et al. 2016c)

Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum, Rocky Hill, Connecticut, USA. Close-up of dinosaur prints.

Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum, Rocky Hill, Connecticut, USA. Close-up of dinosaur prints.