Angolan ichnosite in a diamond mine shows the presence of a large terrestrial mammaliamorph, a crocodylomorph, and sauropod dinosaurs in the Early Cretaceous of Africa

Mateus, Octávio; Marzola, Marco; Schulp, Anne S.; Jacobs, Louis L.; Polcyn, Michael J.; Pervov, V. A.; Gonçalves, António Olímpio; Morais, Maria Luísa

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.12.049

Cited by 23 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…The count of ~67 tracks represents one of the highest track densities known from the Mesozoic, and is also one of the highest diversities (Table 2 ). The recent report 17 of an Angolan assemblage of ~70 small tracks (numbers 1–70) on a “chaotically trampled” surface, indicates a similar density. This study’s sketch map showed 42 of these numbered tracks (35 mammaliamorph and 7 crocodylomorph) in an area of about 1.0 × 1.6 m (1.60 m 2 ), with an additional crocodylomorph trackway making the tracked area ~1.80 m 2 .…”

Section: Discussion and Synthesismentioning

confidence: 90%

“…This study’s sketch map showed 42 of these numbered tracks (35 mammaliamorph and 7 crocodylomorph) in an area of about 1.0 × 1.6 m (1.60 m 2 ), with an additional crocodylomorph trackway making the tracked area ~1.80 m 2 . 45 of the 70 Angolan tracks were interpreted as mammaliamorph, and four including the holotype were described as “the best preserved isolated tracks” 17 . However, no mammaliamorph trackway configurations were described from the Angolan sample, and manus and pes tracks were not distinguished, even in the case of the holotype (no.…”

Section: Discussion and Synthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…

Figure 7 Maryland mammal tracks provisionally assigned to morphotypes ( A – C ). ( A ) Sederipes goddardensis holotype (top) preserved as pes pair with similar, smaller pes pair 12 , ( B ) Moprhotype B, with elongate heel trace, ( C ) Morphotype C, pentadactyl track with a large divergent posterior digit (top) and similar smaller track 12 , ( D ) Schadipes crypticus 11 , and ( E ) unnamed morphotype from Schadipes type locality 38 , ( F ) Koreasaltipes jinjuensis holotype, ( G ) Catocapes angolanus holotype (#3) and paratype (#58) 17 , ( H ) unnamed mammal tracks from Tunisia 13 . Note all tracks are Cretaceous in age and drawn to same scale.…”

Section: The Patuxent Trackways: Description and Context Of The Gsfc mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…from the Late Cretaceous of Colorado 11 all indicate hopping gaits. Isolated tracks from the Cretaceous of Tunisia 13 and Angola 14 – 17 , as well as some from Colorado 18 and Maryland represent unknown locomotor gaits, and are not appropriate as the basis of new ichnotaxa 29 , unless isolated footprint morphologies are highly distinctive and unique, as is potentially the case with Morphotype C (described above), and as argued below for Morphotype A. In this regard, pentadactyl tracks from the Cretaceous of Angola were named as Catocapes angolanus on the basis of an isolated holotype and paratype 17 : see Fig.…”

Section: Systematic Ichnologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 11 the only other named ichnotaxon, preserved in an ambiguous trackway configuration. All other Cretaceous reports pertain to isolated tracks from the Aptian of Maryland 12 , isolated tracks from Tunisia 13 and Angola 14 – 17 and Colorado 18 . Of these only the Angolan tracks have been formally named as an ichnospecies within the ichnogenus Catocapes .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A diverse mammal-dominated, footprint assemblage from wetland deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of Maryland

Stanford

Lockley

Tucker

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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A newly discovered assemblage of predominantly small tracks from the Cretaceous Patuxent Formation at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland, reveals one of the highest track densities and diversities ever reported (~70 tracks, representing at least eight morphotypes from an area of only ~2 m2). The assemblage is dominated by small mammal tracks including the new ichnotxon Sederipes goddardensis, indicating sitting postures. Small crow-sized theropod trackways, the first from this unit, indicate social trackmakers and suggest slow-paced foraging behavior. Tracks of pterosaurs, and other small vertebrates suggest activity on an organic-rich substrate. Large well-preserved sauropod and nodosaurs tracks indicate the presence of large dinosaurs. The Patuxent Formation together with the recently reported Angolan assemblage comprise the world’s two largest Mesozoic mammal footprint assemblages. The high density of footprint registration at the NASA site indicates special preservational and taphonomic conditions. These include early, penecontemporaneous deposition of siderite in organic rich, reducing wetland settings where even the flesh of body fossils can be mummified. Thus, the track-rich ironstone substrates of the Patuxent Formation, appear to preserve a unique vertebrate ichnofacies, with associated, exceptionally-preserved body fossil remains for which there are currently no other similar examples preserved in the fossil record.

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Section: Discussion and Synthesismentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussion and Synthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…

Section: The Patuxent Trackways: Description and Context Of The Gsfc mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Systematic Ichnologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A diverse mammal-dominated, footprint assemblage from wetland deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of Maryland

Stanford

Lockley

Tucker

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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The Fossil Record of Biodiversity in Angola Through Time: A Paleontological Perspective

Mateus

Callapez

Polcyn

et al. 2019

Biodiversity of Angola

Self Cite

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This chapter provides an overview of the alpha paleobiodiversity of Angola based on the available fossil record that is limited to the sedimentary rocks, ranging in age from Precambrian to the present. The geological period with the highest paleobiodiversity in the Angolan fossil record is the Cretaceous, with more than 80% of the total known fossil taxa, especially marine molluscs, including ammonites as a majority among them. The vertebrates represent about 15% of the known fauna and about one tenth of them are species firstly described based on specimens from Angola.

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Cretaceous vertebrate tracks

Xing,

Díaz-Martínez,

Lallensack

et al. 2025

Vertebrate Ichnology

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Angolan ichnosite in a diamond mine shows the presence of a large terrestrial mammaliamorph, a crocodylomorph, and sauropod dinosaurs in the Early Cretaceous of Africa

Cited by 23 publications

References 55 publications

A diverse mammal-dominated, footprint assemblage from wetland deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of Maryland

A diverse mammal-dominated, footprint assemblage from wetland deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of Maryland

The Fossil Record of Biodiversity in Angola Through Time: A Paleontological Perspective

Cretaceous vertebrate tracks

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