Dinosaur Track from the Jurassic Xiahuayuan Formation of Northern China

Abstract

An isolated but moderately well-preserved theropod track from the coal-bearing strata of the Zhangjiakou City region of Hebei Province was reported to have originated from the Xiahuayuan Formation, which is considered Middle Jurassic in age. Although the track has a wide divarication angle and length-width ratio reminiscent of Cretaceous tracks like Magnoavipes, it would be speculative to apply this Identification based on a single track. Therefore, it is considered most likely to be a preservational variant of Kayentapus, in which the heel trace is lacking. Kayentapus is widely known from the Lower Jurassic of China. This is the first report of a track or any vertebrate fossil from the Middle Jurassic of this region of Hebei Province, China.