New Data on Small Theropod Footprints from Massachusetts

Dalman. S. G. 2012. New Data on Small Theropod Footprints from the Early Jurassic (Hettangian) Hartford Basin of Massachusetts, United States. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 53:333-353. doi:http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.3374/014.053.0201

Abstract - A Portland Formation Lower Jurassic (Hettangian) dinosaur tracksite in Granby, Massachusetts, USA, has yielded a diverse dinosaur footprint assemblage. The tracksite preserves 140 theropod dinosaur footprints, ranging in length from 15 to 35 cm; the ichnofauna includes Anchisauripus, Eubrontes, Grallator and other extremely small theropod dinosaur footprints. The small tracks are compared with similar ichnites from the Lower Jurassic of western North America and central Poland. The small theropod footprints, which are described in detail, show some resemblance to the poorly known ichnogenus Stenonyx (Lull, 1904), which is considered an invalid ichnotaxon by many other workers. The footprints exhibit a distinct morphology of the metatarsophalangeal area, suggesting that these small ichnites are closely related to Kayentapus and Grallator. These small tracks are the first reported from the Hartford Basin of Granby, Massachusetts.