Article: First evidence of stegosaurian Deltapodus footprints in North Africa (Iouaridène Formation, Upper Jurassic, Morocco)
Publication: Palaeontology
Volume:
53
Part:
1
Publication Date:
January
2010
Page(s):
233
–
240
Author(s):
Matteo Belvedere and Paolo Mietto
Abstract
New findings of dinosaur footprints are described from the Upper Jurassic Iouaridène ichnosite of Morocco. On the top of two surfaces, stratigraphically close to that bearing the famous Breviparopus taghbaloutensis trackways, two footprints were excavated and assigned to the ichnogenus Deltapodus. This ichnogenus is well known from the Middle Jurassic of Yorkshire and also occurs in Upper Jurassic deposits from Iberia and the United States. This finding represents the first record of Deltapodus from Africa. These footprints, probably produced by stegosaurian dinosaurs, add new data on the distribution of this type of dinosaur and on the connection between the northern and southern margin of Tethys. 3D models have been generated to allow more detailed studies and to record these unique footprints.