Anza palaeoichnological site. Late Cretaceous. Morocco. Part I. The first African pterosaur trackway (manus only)

  1. Masrour, M
  2. Pascual-Arribas, C
  3. de Ducla, M
  4. Hernandez-Medrano, N
  5. Pérez Lorente, Félix
Revista:
Journal of African Earth Sciences

ISSN: 1464-343X

Ano de publicación: 2017

Volume: 134

Páxinas: 766-775

Tipo: Artigo

DOI: 10.1016/J.JAFREARSCI.2017.07.004 WoS: WOS:000412609000060 GOOGLE SCHOLAR

Outras publicacións en: Journal of African Earth Sciences

Resumo

Cretaceous pterosaurs tracksites are very rare worldwide. Until now,only one African Cretaceous site withtracks of (Agadirichnus elegans and Pteraichnus) was known. This makes the discovery of a new outcrop in the Upper Cretaceous of Anza (Morocco) the third manifestation of this type of footprint in Africa, extending the existence of such traces from the Coniacian-Santonian to the Maastrichtian. The site contains only manus tracks, which can be explained as a result of erosion of pes prints. The lack of pes prints and the morphometric characteristics of the manus prints only allow us to relate these prints to Agadirichnus, Pteraichnus or maybe to a new ichnogenus. It is possible that the trackmakers are related to Ornithocheiroidea or Azhdarchoidea superfamilies whose fossil bones have been found from the Late Cretaceous in Morocco. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.