Dinosaur and crocodylomorph footprints from the Hojedk Formation (Bajocian, Middle Jurassic) of north Kerman, Central Iran

Nasrollah Abbassi (*), Simone D'Orazi Porchetti (**), Alexander Wagensommer (***) & Mahdi Ghorbani Dehnavi (****)
(*) Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Zanjan, Zanjan 45371-38791, Iran, tele-phone: (0098)2433054005, fax: (0098)2432283203, e-mail: abbasi@znu.ac.ir (**) Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. (***) Santa Rita, 4 - 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. (****) Geology Management and Mining Exploration of South East Iran, Bastani-ye Parizi Blv. Kerman, Iran.

Dinosaur and crocodylomorph tracks are reported from a new Middle Jurassic tracksite in Central Iran. Crocodylomorphs are represented by a single, well-preserved trackway referred to as Crocodylopodus isp., whereas dinosaur tracks belong to two different types referred to as Wildeichnus isp. and cf. Anchisauripus. This is the first report of crocodilian tracks from the Middle East, and one of the few from Asia. Furthermore, the presence of Wildeichnus in the Middle Jurassic of Iran is interesting because this ichnogenus has previously been reported from localities of roughly the same age in North and South America, as well as Europe and Northern Africa, and may thus be of global significance.

Dinosaur tracks, Crocodylomorph tracks, Ichnology, Middle Jurassic, Central Iran.