engleski

Dinosaur ichnocoenoses on the Adriatic–Dinaridic carbonate platform

Within the area of the former Adriatic–Dinaridic carbonate platform 17 sites with dinosaur footprints have been discovered ; 15 of them on the Istrian peninsula. Stratigraphic range of these findings is Late Tithonian–Late Maastrichtian. Five different kinds of dinosaurs have been recognized among these sites. They include small–mid sized theropods, large theropods, mid sized ornithopods and mid–large sized sauropods. A total of over two thousands single footprints have been found as well as over one hundred trackways. Among these footprints the majority belong to sauropods (1386), then theropods (747) and finally ornithopods (20). Seven stratigraphically different ichnocoenoses were defined among 17 determined ichnoassemblages. All ichnocoenoses are assigned to the Brontopodus ichnofacies. During the Late Tithonian–Late Hauterivian the fauna was dominated by diplodocoid sauropods. In the Late Hauterivian–Late Barremian, there were also the titanosauriform sauropods beside them, as well as large 'carnosaurian' theropods. During the period of Late Albian–Late Cenomanian the fauna was very rich and herbivores include the titanosaurian and non–titanosaurian sauropods as well as iguanodontid ornithopods. Among the carnivores small–mid sized 'coelurosaurian' theropods prevail, but large 'carnosaurian' theropods are also present. Titanosaurian sauropods presented the fauna during the Late Turonian/Early Coniacian. The assemblage of the fauna at the very end of the Cretaceous period (Late Santonian–Late Maastrichtian) was characterized by iguanodontids and hadrosaurids among the herbivores and medium sized theropods (including dromaeosaurids) among carnivores. The land area for the given dinosaur faunas has had to be multiple larger than the area of the former ADCP. Those dinosaurs could not live and survive on the ADCP area or even in the carbonate platform environment. The ecosystem with discovered dinosaurs demand the land area of app. 1–4 millions km2, depending of the stratigraphic range for the specific taxa. Fully terrestrialized Adria microplate or Southern Tethyan megaplatform might represent the land area large enough to sustain the dinosaur populations and the ecosystem which they were the part of. This implies the continuous or sporadic connection, not just between the carbonate platforms on the Southern Tethyan megaplatform, but between it and the nearby continents.

dinosaur footprints; ichnocoenoses; Adriatic–Dinaridic carbonate platform; palaeoecology; palaeobiogeography

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