Grallator variabilis, Lapparent & Montenat, 1967

Moreau, Jean-David, Vullo, Romain, Bichr, Elsie, Thomas, Jérôme, Gand, Georges, Gagnaison, Cyril, Barrier, Pascal & Néraudeau, Didier, 2024, Crocodylomorph and dinosaur tracks from the lowermost Jurassic of Le Veillon (western France): ichnotaxonomic revision of the type material (Lapparent collection), Geodiversitas 46 (8), pp. 343-366 : 361

“Unnamed track n°2”

( Fig. 13 D-F)

Unnamed track n°2 – Lapparent & Montenat 1967: 30, pl. XIII.5.

STATUS. — Specimen here identified as G. cf. variabilis .

EXAMINED MATERIAL. — ULB-04D22_A .

DESCRIPTION

The track is tridactyl, small-sized, longer than wide, approximatively 11 cm long and 7 cm wide ( Fig. 13 D-F; Table 2 ). Impressions of digits are elongated. The impression of digit III is the longest. At the base of the trace of digit IV, the position of the digito-metatarsal pad is more proximal than that of digit II. The divarication angle II-IV is 29°. Round to oval phalangeal pads and pointed marks of claws are commonly very well marked. Marks of claws on the traces of digits II and IV are clearly oriented outward.

REMARKS

In their description of this track, Lapparent & Montenat (1967) considering the traces of digits II, III and IV as being parallel and of the same length. However, the reexamination of this track indicates that it matches with the ichnogenus Grallator . Despite its poor preservation, ULB-04D22_A shares some similarities with the G. variabilis ichnospecies.

Figures

FIG. 13. — Other problematic tracks in Lapparent & Montenat 1967: A-C, Batrachopus isp., ULB-04C14_I, photograph (A), interpretative sketch of Lapparent & Montenat (1967) (B) (“Unnamed track n°1” in Lapparent & Montenat 1967: fig. 18), and our interpretation (C); D-F, Grallator cf. variabilis, ULB-04D22_A, photograph (D), interpretative sketch of Lapparent & Montenat (1967) (E) (“Unnamed track n°2” in Lapparent & Montenat 1967: fig. 18 and pl. XIII.5), and our interpretation (F). Scale bars: A-C, 1 cm; D-F, 5 cm.