Fenoliga Island
Cenomanian dinosaur tracks on the islet of Fenoliga in southern Istria
Alexander Mezga, Zlatan Bajraktarević
Department of Geology and Palaeontology
Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
PO Box 153, Zvonimirova 8,
HR-10 000, Zagreb Croatia
(accepted August 3, 1999; published
electronically February 01, 2000)
Abstract
One hundred and forty six dinosaur
footprints occur on the Cenomanian outcrop of Fenoliga. They are
arranged in six trackways and six footprint groups (a-f). Two basic
footprint types can be distinguished: firstly, large circular-elliptical
sauropod footprints, forming four trackways (I, III, V, VI) and five
footprint groups (a-e), and secondly, smaller, tridactyl theropod
footprints forming two trackways (II and IV) and one footprint group
(f). Three type specimens, one sauropod and two theropod, were
determined during the course of the work. Since no dinosaur bones have
been discovered in the Cenomanian rocks of Istria so far, these findings
are outstandingly important in the analysis of the regional dinosaur
fauna.
Copyright 1999 Academic Press
Source:
- "Cenomanian dinosaur tracks on the
islet of Fenoliga in southern Istria", Cretaceous Research,
Vol. 20, No. 6, December 1, 1999, ISSN: 0195-6671, EISSN: 1095-998X
- https://www.idealibrary.com/links/doi/10.1006/cres.1999.0180"
target="_top
|
Fenoliga (Fenolega) Islet, near
Premantura (Promontore) - sauropod from 80-90 million years ago.
Photo source: Istria,
Cherso, Lussino, Veglia - Oasi di Natura, Sergio Schiberna
(Trieste, 1997) |
Trackways and footprint groups of
the
Dinosauria
on the islet of Fenoliga
Alexander Mezga
On the islet of Fenoliga, within an area of 45 x
16.5 m, 146 dinosaur footprints were found. They are arranged in six trackways
(I-VI) and six footprint groups (a-f). They occur in Middle to Upper Cenomanian
bioclastic wackestone deposited in a tidal flat environment. Two basic footprint
types can be distinguished: 1, large circular-elliptical sauropod footprints,
forming four trackways (I, III, V, VI) and five footprint groups (a, b, c, d,
e); 2, smaller tridactyl theropod footprints forming two trackways (II, IV) and
one footprint group (f). Three type specimens, one sauropod and two theropod,
were determined during the course of the work. Footprints from this site
constitute a sauropod-theropod ichnocenosis with the ratio 67:33 % in the favour
of sauropods.
Location of the outcrop with
dinosaur footprints
Footprints of three theropod and at least six
sauropod individuals are present at the site. The taxonomic position of the
footprints was not determined owing to the inadequte record of dinosaur body
fossils in Istria. Since no dinosaur bones have been discovered in the
Cenomanian rocks in Istria so far, these findings are outstandingly important in
the analysis of the regional dinosaur fauna. The footprint indicate the
existence of extensive Cenomanian terrestrial habitats. Favourable
paleoecological conditions during this period facilitated survival of the large
sauropod and theropod populations.
Further Readings:
-
Gogala, M. 1975. Sledi iz davnine na jugu Istre.
Proteus
37, 229-232.
-
Gogala, M. & Pavlovec, R. 1978. Se enkrat o sledovih
dinozavrov. Proteus 40, 192-196.
-
Leghissa, S. & Leonardi, G. 1990. Sauropodi in
Istria. Centro di cultura Giuliano-Dalmata, pp. 1-30.
-
Mezga, A. & Bajraktarevic, Z. 1999. Cenomanian
dinosaur tracks on the islet of Fenoliga in southern Istria, Croatia.
Cretaceous Research 20. (in press)
-
Pavlovec, R. & Gogala, M. 1992. Na novo odkrite
dinozavrove stopinje na otocku Fenoliga. Proteus 55, 110-112.
-
Tisljar, J., Velic, I., Radovcic, J. & Crnkovic, B.
1983. Upper Jurrasic and Cretaceous peritidal, lagoonal, shallow marine and
perireefal carbonate sediments of Istria. In Contributions to sedimentology
of some carbonate and clastic units of the coastal Dinarides, Excursion
Guide (eds Babic, Lj. & Jelaska, V.), 4th IAS Regional Meeting, Split, 1983,
pp. 13-35.
Sources:
- Text, images, and photos (all except top):
Alexander Mezga, "Trackways and footprint groups of the Dinosauria
on the islet of Fenoliga", Paleontology Group, Geological & Paleontological
Institute - "https://www.unibas.ch/earth/GPI/paleo/mezgaabstract.htm"
target="_top
- Footprints photo (top): Istria, Cherso,
Lussino, Veglia - Oasi di Natura, Sergio Schiberna (Trieste, 1997)
|