Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa

Background: A new investigation of the sedimentology and ichnology of the Early Jurassic Moyeni tracksite in Lesotho, southern Africa has yielded new insights into the behavior and locomotor dynamics of early dinosaurs. Methodology/Principal Findings: The tracksite is an ancient point bar preserving...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Wilson, Jeffrey A., Marsicano, Claudia Alicia, Smith, Roger M. H.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2009
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/92711
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/92711
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Dinosauria
Footprints
Palaeobiology
Early Jurassic Lesotho
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
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network_name_str Argentina
repository_id_str
spelling Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern AfricaWilson, Jeffrey A.Marsicano, Claudia AliciaSmith, Roger M. H.DinosauriaFootprintsPalaeobiologyEarly Jurassic Lesothohttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Background: A new investigation of the sedimentology and ichnology of the Early Jurassic Moyeni tracksite in Lesotho, southern Africa has yielded new insights into the behavior and locomotor dynamics of early dinosaurs. Methodology/Principal Findings: The tracksite is an ancient point bar preserving a heterogeneous substrate of varied consistency and inclination that includes a ripple-marked riverbed, a bar slope, and a stable algal-matted bar top surface. Several basal ornithischian dinosaurs and a single theropod dinosaur crossed its surface within days or perhaps weeks of one another, but responded to substrate heterogeneity differently. Whereas the theropod trackmaker accommodated sloping and slippery surfaces by gripping the substrate with its pedal claws, the basal ornithischian trackmakers adjusted to the terrain by changing between quadrupedal and bipedal stance, wide and narrow gauge limb support (abduction range = 31°), and plantigrade and digitigrade foot posture. Conclusions/Significance: The locomotor adjustments coincide with changes in substrate consistency along the trackway and appear to reflect 'real time' responses to a complex terrain. It is proposed that these responses foreshadow important locomotor transformations characterizing the later evolution of the two main dinosaur lineages. Ornithischians, which shifted from bipedal to quadrupedal posture at least three times in their evolutionary history, are shown to have been capable of adopting both postures early in their evolutionary history. The substrate-gripping behavior demonstrated by the early theropod, in turn, is consistent with the hypothesized function of pedal claws in bird ancestors.Fil: Wilson, Jeffrey A.. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; ArgentinaFil: Marsicano, Claudia Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Smith, Roger M. H.. ziko South African Museum, Cape Town; SudáfricaPublic Library of Science2009-10info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/92711Wilson, Jeffrey A.; Marsicano, Claudia Alicia; Smith, Roger M. H.; Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa; Public Library of Science; Plos One; 4; 10; 10-2009; 1-8; e73311932-6203CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0007331info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0007331info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2024-05-08T14:14:57Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/92711instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982024-05-08 14:14:58.034CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa
title Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa
spellingShingle Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa
Wilson, Jeffrey A.
Dinosauria
Footprints
Palaeobiology
Early Jurassic Lesotho
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
title_short Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa
title_full Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa
title_fullStr Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa
title_full_unstemmed Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa
title_sort Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Wilson, Jeffrey A.
Marsicano, Claudia Alicia
Smith, Roger M. H.
author Wilson, Jeffrey A.
author_facet Wilson, Jeffrey A.
Marsicano, Claudia Alicia
Smith, Roger M. H.
author_role author
author2 Marsicano, Claudia Alicia
Smith, Roger M. H.
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Dinosauria
Footprints
Palaeobiology
Early Jurassic Lesotho
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
topic Dinosauria
Footprints
Palaeobiology
Early Jurassic Lesotho
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
description Background: A new investigation of the sedimentology and ichnology of the Early Jurassic Moyeni tracksite in Lesotho, southern Africa has yielded new insights into the behavior and locomotor dynamics of early dinosaurs. Methodology/Principal Findings: The tracksite is an ancient point bar preserving a heterogeneous substrate of varied consistency and inclination that includes a ripple-marked riverbed, a bar slope, and a stable algal-matted bar top surface. Several basal ornithischian dinosaurs and a single theropod dinosaur crossed its surface within days or perhaps weeks of one another, but responded to substrate heterogeneity differently. Whereas the theropod trackmaker accommodated sloping and slippery surfaces by gripping the substrate with its pedal claws, the basal ornithischian trackmakers adjusted to the terrain by changing between quadrupedal and bipedal stance, wide and narrow gauge limb support (abduction range = 31°), and plantigrade and digitigrade foot posture. Conclusions/Significance: The locomotor adjustments coincide with changes in substrate consistency along the trackway and appear to reflect 'real time' responses to a complex terrain. It is proposed that these responses foreshadow important locomotor transformations characterizing the later evolution of the two main dinosaur lineages. Ornithischians, which shifted from bipedal to quadrupedal posture at least three times in their evolutionary history, are shown to have been capable of adopting both postures early in their evolutionary history. The substrate-gripping behavior demonstrated by the early theropod, in turn, is consistent with the hypothesized function of pedal claws in bird ancestors.
publishDate 2009
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2009-10
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/92711
Wilson, Jeffrey A.; Marsicano, Claudia Alicia; Smith, Roger M. H.; Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa; Public Library of Science; Plos One; 4; 10; 10-2009; 1-8; e7331
1932-6203
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/92711
identifier_str_mv Wilson, Jeffrey A.; Marsicano, Claudia Alicia; Smith, Roger M. H.; Dynamic locomotor capabilities revealed by early dinosaur trackmakers from Southern Africa; Public Library of Science; Plos One; 4; 10; 10-2009; 1-8; e7331
1932-6203
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0007331
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0007331
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Public Library of Science
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Public Library of Science
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 15,811543

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