Prospecciones paleoicnológicas en el sinclinal de Iouaridène (Alto Atlas, Marruecos). 2: Parte oriental

Abstract

In 2007, the dinosaur footprints research group of the Universities of Rabat and La Rioja began the mapping of the Iouaridène ichnological sites. The initial problems were the footprints number - several thousands for some scientits- the ichnotaxonomy, and their geographical and geological distribution. Our first results (west Iouaridène area) were published in 2008. In addition to two ichnotaxons defined here, we have studied: gigantic theropod and ornithopod footprints; semipantigrade theropod ichnites and the largest world theropod trackway are new contributions to Iouaridène dinosaur footprints knowledge. In this work, are demostrated the following questions: i) the maximun number of footprints in the Iouaridène sincline is less than 2000; ii) in the east area there is minor density of sites and the number of footprints that in the west part; iii) the greatest number of semiplantigrade theropod ichnites; iv) the fosiliferous levels reduction from 20 to one. Probably, the four properties geographically related - stratigraphic, number, density (sites and footprints) and the diversity of semiplantigrade ichnites - are other singenetic relations