Analysis of very small-small theropod footprints data from Imilchil tracksite (Hig Central Atlas. Morocco). A concordance model for a global scale

Abstract

In the ensemble of theropod footprints from the Imilchil macrosite, a group of small size separated from the rest is distinguished. We had detected this grouping in other sites studied by our team in La Rioja and in the work of drawing up scatter plots and frequency histograms of the measurements, on a global scale, of the length and width of the theropod footprints (these data are available on request from Farlow [farlow@pfw.edu]). We analyze the particular grouping of small footprints, providing the study of the theropod footprint measurements of 14 new sites with dinosaur footprints in Imilchil and the graphical representation (frequency histograms and scatter plots) of the global data. The work has been done by projecting and comparing the length and width measurements of the Imilchil footprints and the global ones of what we call circumscribed geographical environments (TGC or Temporal Geographical Circumscriptions [cf. Mínguez Ceniceros et al., 2022]). The ichnotaxonomic study of the footprints referred to in this work can be found in Masrour et al., (2023). Finally we interpret the position of maxima and minima in the frequency diagrams, both of Imilchil, and of the other areas in which Farlow has found records (up to the year 2022).