Sauropod Ichnology: Overview and New Research Lines from a South American Perspective

Abstract

Forty years ago, L. Branisa and G. Leonardi discovered the first sauropodomorph tracks in South America during expeditions to Toro Toro (Bolivia). Since then, numerous findings, mainly in Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil, have increased the record. The first research lines mainly covered morphological description, ichnotaxonomic identification, and behavioral analyzes (e.g., gregariousness and speed). Some Cretaceous tracksites allowed the description of three new ichnotaxa: Sauropodichnus giganteus (Calvo in Ameghiniana 28:241–258, 1991), Titanopodus mendozensis (González Riga and Calvo in Palaeontology 52:631–640, 2009), and Calorckosauripus lazari (Meyer et al. in Ann Soc Geol Pol 88:223–241, 2018), the former two corresponding to Argentina, and the latter to Bolivia. A new research line named ‘ichnology and comparative anatomy’ has become relevant in the last years linking the skeletal information to the ichnological record, thus providing an integral interpretation of the set. This kind of approach allowed making more accurate inferences about paleoecological aspects, including limb posture, gauge, gait, speed, and size diversity recorded. In sum, this chapter aims to provide an overview of the South American sauropodomorph ichnotaxonomy, the history of the discoveries, and the results of new research lines in development.