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Paleontology
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Picture of the Fenoliga islet

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:
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

Picture of the Fenoliga islet 

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:

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