Theropod and other dinosaurian tracks from the upper Lower Cretaceous of northeastern China: Overlooked Fuxin Biota records reinvestigated

Abstract

Dinosaur tracks have been known and reported sporadically from the coal-bearing beds of the Fuxin Formation (upper Aptian–Albian, upper Lower Cretaceous) of Liaoning Province, northeastern China for some time but have not been described in detail. Here available material is illustrated suggesting a diversity of theropod track morphotypes, including small grallatorid, eubrontid and possible Gigandipus-like forms, a Magnoavipes-like form and an isolated small ornithopod track. Some of the tracks show the characteristic distortion of flattened footprints. The ichnofauna supplements our knowledge of the Fuxin Biota by adding a more diverse dinosaur fauna, indicated by the footprint record.