Dynamic similarity in titanosaur sauropods: ichnological evidence from the Fumanya dinosaur tracksite (southern Pyrenees)

Vila, B. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Oms, O. ; Galobart, À. ; Bates, K.T. ; Egerton, V.M. ; Manning, P.L.

Resumen: The study of a small sauropod trackway from the Late Cretaceous Fumanya tracksite (southern Pyrenees, Catalonia) and further comparisons with larger trackways from the same locality suggest a causative relationship between gait, gauge, and body proportions of the respective titanosaur trackmakers. This analysis, conducted in the context of scaling predictions and using geometric similarity and dynamic similarity hypotheses, reveals similar Froude numbers and relative stride lengths for both small and large trackmakers from Fumanya. Evidence for geometric similarity in these trackways suggests that titanosaurs of different sizes moved in a dynamically similar way, probably using an amble gait. The wide gauge condition reported in trackways of small and large titanosaurs implies that they possessed similar body (trunk and limbs) proportions despite large differences in body size. These results strengthen the hypothesis that titanosaurs possessed a distinctive suite of anatomical characteristics that are well reflected in their tracks and trackways.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057408

Año: 2013

Publicado en: PLoS One 8, 2 (2013), e57408 [9 pp]
ISSN: 1932-6203

Factor impacto JCR: 3.534 (2013)

Categ. JCR: MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES rank: 8 / 56 = 0.143 (2013) - Q1 - T1

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/JDC-2011-Subprograma Juan de la Cierva
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2008-06533-C03-02
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2011-30069-C02-01

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Paleontología (Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)