Abstract

Dinosaur footprints were found in Pliensbachian terrigenous rocks in the central North Caucasus. Tracks of different sizes (12‒35 cm) were identified at three levels of the Mizur Formation section. The sediments accumulated on the wide (15‒20 km) shelf of a paleobasin. The coastal land was covered with abundant vegetation. The warm and humid climate favored the development of weathering crusts, lake–bog systems, and peat accumulation. The seawater temperature ranged from 21 to 25°C. The accumulation of sediments on the shallow shelf and their distribution over the area were influenced by wave activity, currents, and tidal phenomena. At low tide, small dinosaurs visited the shelf zone in order to search for food in the form of benthic fauna, which was abundant in clayey–silty sediments. The simultaneous presence of significantly different–size animal tracks may indicate that large individuals preyed on smaller ones. The presence of dinosaur tracks at different levels of the upper Pliensbachian strata indicates that representatives of the terrestrial fauna periodically visited the paleoshelf during the Domerian.

中文翻译：

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北高加索中部侏罗纪大陆架上陆源沉积物中的恐龙足迹：沉积学和古生态学背景

摘要

在北高加索地区的普林斯巴赫陆相岩石中发现了恐龙足迹。在Mizur地层剖面的三个层面上确定了不同大小（12×35 cm）的轨道。沉积物堆积在古巴辛的宽阔的陆架上（15至20公里）。沿海地带植被茂盛。温暖湿润的气候有利于风化壳，湖沼泽系统和泥炭堆积的发展。海水温度范围为21至25°C。浅层陆架上的沉积物堆积及其在该区域的分布受波浪活动，洋流和潮汐现象的影响。退潮时，小恐龙为了寻找底栖动物而寻找食物，底栖动物的种类丰富，包括粘土质粉质沉积物。同时存在大小不同的动物足迹可能表明，大型个体捕食较小的个体。在上普林斯巴赫地层的不同水平上都存在恐龙足迹，这表明在多美尔时期，陆生动物的代表周期性地访问了古棚架。