Chinanews.com, Renhuai, Guizhou, November 29th (Guo Kunlin, Yuan Chao) Recently, scientific research personnel of Guizhou University discovered a dinosaur footprint again in Maotai Town, Renhuai City, Guizhou Province, which was found in another place in Maotai Town in 2017. Dinosaur footprints are from the same period.
Wen Xuefeng, an associate professor at Guizhou University, said that based on the shape of the footprints, it is preliminarily judged that it belongs to theropod dinosaurs and early Jurassic carnivorous dinosaurs.
The picture shows the scene of the discovery of dinosaur footprints.
Photo by Guo Kunlin
The dinosaur footprints discovered this time are on the slope of a highway in Maotai Town, covering an area of about 100 square meters.
The rock formation where the footprints are located is the Lower Jurassic Ziliujing Formation, a set of dark purple-red middle-layer argillaceous fine sandstone.
After careful identification and marking by the scientific research personnel of Guizhou University, a total of 18 relatively clear dinosaur footprints were found, including one track and other isolated footprints. The footprints are 7 cm to 13 cm long and 6 cm to 14 cm wide. Shallow, more serious weathering damage.
At the scene, the scientific research personnel speculated from the shallow ripple marks and mud cracks on the rock formations that this area was a shallow lake in the early Jurassic period, and the climate was relatively dry. At that time, a group of sauropod and theropod dinosaurs hunted here. It is formed by eating, drinking or passing through here, which is consistent with the group of dinosaur footprints discovered in Maotai Town in 2017.
The picture shows the scene of the discovery of dinosaur footprints.
Photo by Guo Kunlin
Wen Xuefeng introduced that among the more than 250 sauropod dinosaur footprints discovered before, only one theropod dinosaur footprint was found.
Now, combined with the theropod footprints discovered now, it is a very good supplement.
He believes that the two sides are the same set of strata, which can constitute a dinosaur paradise in the early Jurassic period, which also shows that in the early Jurassic period, a large number of dinosaurs lived in Renhuai.
Dinosaur footprints must be formed when walking on a surface with very moderate temperature, viscosity, and particle size. The morphological characteristics of dinosaur footprints can provide a lot of important information, such as inferring the speed and gait of dinosaurs, sports ability, sociality, etc.
Wen Xuefeng said: "This is of great significance for studying the living habits, population layout and evolution of dinosaurs, and it is also a good science popularization material." (End)