The protection, conservation and sustainable use of the Courtedoux dinosaur tracksite, Canton Jura, Switzerland (original) (raw)
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Since 2002 six dinosaur tracksites have been discovered by the «Palaeontology A16» on the future course of the Transjurane highway in the Ajoie district of the Canton Jura. These tracksites are systematically excavated prior to the construction of the highway. So far, over 4'000 dinosaur footprints including 280 trackways have been excavated and documented within three different time intervals of the Kimmeridgian. This indicates the presence of dinosaur populations, which lived on the northern margin of the Jura carbonate platform. The dinosaur assemblages revealed by footprints are composed of different size classes of both sauropod (quadrupeds, herbivores) and theropod (bipeds, carnivores) dinosaurs. The tracksites are of major importance for Switzerland's palaeontological heritage. In 2006, the Chevenez - Combe Ronde tracksite has been spanned by an additional bridge specifically built for this purpose. This is the first large palaeontological site in Switzerland, which is protected and made accessible by the construction of a highway. In May 2006 the Canton Jura decided to pursue the political discussion of a valorisation of the tracksites. A valorisation with a combined promotion of tourism, science and education might facilitate palaeontological excavations and research in the Canton Jura, once the construction of the highway will be accomplished.
Since 2002 six dinosaur tracksites have been dis- covered by the «Palaeontology A16» on the future course of the Transjurane highway in the Ajoie district of the Canton Jura. These tracksites are systematically excavated prior to the construction of the highway. So far, over 4'000 dinosaur foot- prints including 280 trackways have been excavat- ed and documented within three different time intervals of the Kimmeridgian. This indicates the presence of dinosaur populations, which lived on the northern margin of the Jura carbonate plat- form. The dinosaur assemblages revealed by foot- prints are composed of different size classes of both sauropod (quadrupeds, herbivores) and thero- pod (bipeds, carnivores) dinosaurs. The tracksites are of major importance for Switzerland's palaeon- tological heritage. In 2006, the Chevenez - Combe Ronde tracksite has been spanned by an additional bridge specifically built for this purpose. This is the first large palaeontological site in Switze...
Preliminary report on the Courtedoux dinosaur tracksite from the Kimmeridgian of Switzerland
Ichnos, 2003
In 2002, a new dinosaur tracksite was discovered in calcareous laminites of early Late Kimmeridgian age along the future course of the “Transjurane“ highway in Courtedoux, Canton Jura, Northern Switzerland. The site has an extraordinary scientific potential, as the laminites, which have been deposited in an intertidal to supratidal environment, contain at least 6 track-bearing levels in a total thickness of about 1 m. The laminites are being systematically excavated by the “Section de paléontologie“ over an area of approximately 1500 m2. So far the main track level has been uncovered over an area of about 650 m2, which reveals 2 trackways of theropods and 17 trackways of sauropods. The sauropod tracks are the smallest known in the Kimmeridgian so far, and the trackways belong to the ichnogenus Parabrontopodus, which has been revealed for the first time in Switzerland. The tracksite belongs to the “Middle Kimmeridgian megatracksite“ sensu Meyer (2000), and represents the most important dinosaur tracksite in Switzerland, perhaps with the potential for development into one of the world’s largest sauropod tracksites. It will be protected in situ underneath an especially constructed highway-bridge, thus offering opportunities for future research and the development of an interpretative center for education and tourism (Marty et al., submitted).
Background: Minute to medium-sized (footprint length (FL) less than 30 cm) tridactyl dinosaur tracks are the most abundant in the Late Jurassic tracksites of Highway A16 (Reuchenette Formation, Kimmeridgian) in the Jura Mountains (NW Switzerland). During excavations, two morphotypes, one gracile and one robust, were identified in the field. Furthermore, two large-sized theropod ichnospecies (Megalosauripus transjuranicus and Jurabrontes curtedulensis) and an ornithopod-like morphotype (Morphotype II) have recently been described at these sites. Methods: The quality of morphological preservation (preservation grade), the depth of the footprint, the shape variation, and the footprint proportions (FL/footprint width (FW) ratio and mesaxony) along the trackways have been analyzed using 3D models and false-color depth maps in order to determine the exact number of small to medium-sized morphotypes present in the tracksites. Results: The study of footprints (n = 93) recovered during the excavations has made it possible to identify and characterize the two morphotypes distinguished in the field. The gracile morphotype is mainly characterized by a high FL/FW ratio, high mesaxony, low divarication angles and clear, sharp claw marks, and phalangeal pads (2-3-4). By contrast, the robust morphotype is characterized by a lower FL/FW ratio, weaker mesaxony, slightly higher divarication angles and clear, sharp claw marks (when preserved), whereas the phalangeal pads are not clearly preserved although they might be present. Discussion: The analysis does not allow the two morphotypes to be associated within the same morphological continuum. Thus, they cannot be extramorphological variations of similar tracks produced by a single trackmaker. Comparison of the two morphotypes with the larger morphotypes described in the formation (M. transjuranicus, J. curtedulensis, and Morphotype II) and the spatio-temporal relationships of the trackways suggest that the smaller morphotypes cannot reliably be considered as small individuals of any of the larger morphotypes. The morphometric data of some specimens of the robust morphotype (even lower values for the length/width ratio and mesaxony) suggest that more than one ichnotaxon might be represented within the robust morphotype. The features of the
Meyer, Ch. A. & Thüring, B. 2003a. Dinosaurs of Switzerland
Until 1960, the record of dinosaurs was rather poor in Switzerland. Between 1960 and 1980, several new localities with plateosaurid remains as well as prosauropod and theropod tracks were found in Late Triassic sabkha and floodplain environments. The discovery of large surfaces with sauropod tracks in the Late Jurassic of the Jura Mountains in 1987 triggered a stream of new data. More than 20 new localities with tracks from both sauropod and theropod dinosaurs in different stratigraphic levels have been found since then. The latest discoveries include trackways of iguanodontids from the Early Cretaceous of the central Swiss Alps and a large Late Jurassic surface with trackways of small sauropods in the northernmost part of the Jura Mountains. The best skeletal record comes from the Late Triassic, with scattered data from the Late Jurassic. The track and trackway record appears to be best in the Late Jurassic.
A reevaluation of the Late Jurassic dinosaur tracksite Barkhausen (Wiehengebirge, Northern Germany)
PalZ, 2021
A restudy of the Barkhausen dinosaur tracksite shows that the track-bearing surface reveals considerably more detail than previously indicated, and a new map is presented, showing the trackways of nine sauropods, traveling north, possibly as a group. These are among the smallest sauropod tracks recorded in Europe. There is also evidence of two large theropods crossing the area, one moving to the south and the other to the west. Evidence of at least three other sauropods is registered in the form of isolated manus traces that represent larger individuals. Previous interpretations inferred that sauropod trackways trended south, and therefore suggested a predator chasing its prey as in the purported but controversial attack scenario claimed for the famous Paluxy River site in Texas. Based on the present study, this scenario is no longer tenable for the Barkhausen tracksite. The description of Elephantopoides barkhausensis (Kaever and Lapparent, 1974) shows that it represents a moderate...