Sauropod Ichnology. Overview and new research lines from a South American perspective

JORGE ORLANDO CALVO; BERNARDO J. GONZÁLEZ RIGA; APESTEGUÍA, SEBASTIÁN; MARIA BELEN TOMASELLI

South American Sauropodomorph dinosaurs. Record, diversity and evolution

Springer

Lugar: Cham; Año: 2022; p. 503 - 540

Forty years ago, L. Branisa and G. Leonardi discovered the firstsauropodomorph tracks in South America during expeditions to Toro Toro (Bolivia).Since then, numerous findings, mainly in Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil, haveincreased the record. The first research lines mainly covered morphological description,ichnotaxonomic identification, and behavioral analyzes (e.g., gregariousnessand speed). Some Cretaceous tracksites allowed the description of three newichnotaxa: Sauropodichnus giganteus (Calvo in Ameghiniana 28:241–258, 1991),Titanopodus mendozensis (González Riga and Calvo in Palaeontology 52:631–640,2009), and Calorckosauripus lazari (Meyer et al. in Ann Soc Geol Pol 88:223–241,2018), the former two corresponding to Argentina, and the latter to Bolivia. A newresearch line named ‘ichnology and comparative anatomy’ has become relevant in thelast years linking the skeletal information to the ichnological record, thus providingan integral interpretation of the set. This kind of approach allowed making moreaccurate inferences about paleoecological aspects, including limb posture, gauge,gait, speed, and size diversity recorded. In sum, this chapter aims to provide an overview of the South American sauropodomorph ichnotaxonomy, the history of thediscoveries, and the results of new research lines in development.