Tyrannosauripus

Tyrannosauripus
Trace fossil classification
Ichnoclass: Reptilipedia
Ichnocohort: Theropodipedia
Ichnoorder: †Maniraptorformipida
Ichnofamily: †Tyrannosauripodidae
Ichnogenus: †Tyrannosauripus
Thulborn & Wade, 1984

Tyrannosauripus is an ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint. It was discovered by Thulborn & Wade in 1984.

Discovery

In the 1980s, palaeontologists first studied a place in Queensland called Lark Quarry. There they found three dinosaur ichnogenera. One set of tracks belongs to a small coelurosaur – Skartopus; a second belonged to a hypsilophodontid called Wintonopus; the third was of a large theropod, Tyrannosauripus.

Dinosaur tracks from Lark Quarry

Ornithopod

Artists impression of Muttaburrasaurus

Amblydactylus

New research made by palaeontologists from Queensland, states, that the third set of tracks did not belong to theropod at all. They say that "exists strong morphological similarity between Tyrannosauropus [sic], and iguanodontian ichnotaxon Amblydactylus gethingi".[1]

Muttaburrasaurus

The lead author of the research, Anthony Romilio, however believes that Lark Quarry footprints are from another ornithopod, Muttaburrasaurus langdoni, whose remains were found in Queensland. He states:

"Making the distinction between the three-toed tracks of herbivorous ornithopod dinosaurs and the three-toed tracks of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs can be quite difficult. This confusion has led to numerous ornithopod dinosaur tracks being incorrectly identified as belonging to theropods, and vice versa."

References

  1. ↑ Anthony Romilio & Steven W. Salisbury (2011). "A reassessment of large theropod dinosaur tracks from the mid-Cretaceous (late Albian–Cenomanian) Winton Formation of Lark Quarry, central-western Queensland, Australia: a case for mistaken identity". Cretaceous Research. 32 (2): 135–142. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2010.11.003.
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