The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Palaeoenvironment and taphonomy of dinosaur tracks in the Vectis Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Wessex sub-basin, southern England

Palaeoenvironment and taphonomy of dinosaur tracks in the Vectis Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Wessex sub-basin, southern England
Palaeoenvironment and taphonomy of dinosaur tracks in the Vectis Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Wessex sub-basin, southern England
Reptilian ichnofossils are documented from three levels within the coastal lagoonal Vectis Formation (Wealden Group, Lower Cretaceous) of the Wessex Sub-basin, southern England (coastal exposures of the Isle of Wight). Footprints attributable toIguanodonoccur in arenaceous, strongly trampled, marginal lagoonal deposits at the base of the formation, indicating relatively intense ornithopod activity. These were rapidly buried by influxes of terrestrial and lagoonal sediment. Poorly-preserved footcasts within the upper part of the Barnes High Sandstone Member are tentatively interpreted as undertracks. In the stratigraphically higher Shepherd's Chine Member, footcasts of a small to medium-sized theropod and a small ornithopod originally constituted two or more trackways and are preserved beneath a distinctive, laterally persistent bioclastic limestone bed, characterised by hypichnialDiplocraterion. These suggest relatively low rates of dinosaurian activity on a low salinity, periodically wetted mudflat. Trackway preservation in this case is due to storm-induced shoreward water movements which generated influxes of distinctive bioclastic lithologies from marginal and offshore lagoonal settings. The rapidly-deposited footprint-fills occasionally contain fully articulated shallow burrowing bivalves.
Vectis Formation, Lower Cretaceous, southern England, dinosaur tracks, palaeoenvironments, taphonomy.
0195-6671
471-487
Radley, J.D.
fe00803c-7d62-491d-a827-47c4b8cbd3c7
Barker, M.J.
d336339c-f905-43f0-befb-99905127503b
Harding, I.C.
5d63b829-a9a7-447f-aa3f-62e8d0e715cb
Radley, J.D.
fe00803c-7d62-491d-a827-47c4b8cbd3c7
Barker, M.J.
d336339c-f905-43f0-befb-99905127503b
Harding, I.C.
5d63b829-a9a7-447f-aa3f-62e8d0e715cb

Radley, J.D., Barker, M.J. and Harding, I.C. (1998) Palaeoenvironment and taphonomy of dinosaur tracks in the Vectis Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Wessex sub-basin, southern England. Cretaceous Research, 19 (3/4), 471-487. (doi:10.1006/cres.1997.0107).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Reptilian ichnofossils are documented from three levels within the coastal lagoonal Vectis Formation (Wealden Group, Lower Cretaceous) of the Wessex Sub-basin, southern England (coastal exposures of the Isle of Wight). Footprints attributable toIguanodonoccur in arenaceous, strongly trampled, marginal lagoonal deposits at the base of the formation, indicating relatively intense ornithopod activity. These were rapidly buried by influxes of terrestrial and lagoonal sediment. Poorly-preserved footcasts within the upper part of the Barnes High Sandstone Member are tentatively interpreted as undertracks. In the stratigraphically higher Shepherd's Chine Member, footcasts of a small to medium-sized theropod and a small ornithopod originally constituted two or more trackways and are preserved beneath a distinctive, laterally persistent bioclastic limestone bed, characterised by hypichnialDiplocraterion. These suggest relatively low rates of dinosaurian activity on a low salinity, periodically wetted mudflat. Trackway preservation in this case is due to storm-induced shoreward water movements which generated influxes of distinctive bioclastic lithologies from marginal and offshore lagoonal settings. The rapidly-deposited footprint-fills occasionally contain fully articulated shallow burrowing bivalves.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 1998
Keywords: Vectis Formation, Lower Cretaceous, southern England, dinosaur tracks, palaeoenvironments, taphonomy.

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 1365
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/1365
ISSN: 0195-6671
PURE UUID: 4836616c-afcd-4bf8-a3f7-65854bfb2e74
ORCID for I.C. Harding: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4281-0581

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 19 Apr 2004
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:39

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: J.D. Radley
Author: M.J. Barker
Author: I.C. Harding ORCID iD

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×