Tragovi velikog teropoda na Velom Brijunu

 The Spring of 2009. The Pogledalo outcrop at the Veli Brijun island. There are 3 large theropod trackways criss-crossing in this photo. I have only just begun to understand the ancient tracks.

Veliki pernati teropod

Yutyrannus

Tijekom donje krede je došlo do određenog razdoblja hladnije klime, unatoč činjenici da je ugljikovog dioksida u atmosferi bilo čak deset puta nego danas. 

Je li to bio razlog da su se veliki teropodi "odjenuli" u proto-perje?

Osam-metarski kineski tiranozaurid je bio jedan od tih. Nakon okončanja hladnog perioda, klima se opet zagrijala. Da li su onda veliki teropodi izgubili perje? Ili im je to ostalo?

 

More recent stuff

The hunt for the tracks was very succesful!

 From the mega track site the other day: a medium-sized theropod footprint that faded away through the process of dessication.

 A "micro" theropod footprint.

A small theropod trackway - indicates it was running fast!

Dinosaurs were messy ... (2)

If you were suspicious of my theropod tracks interpretation from the previous post, here is a photograph from the same outcrop showing a rather poorly preserved (possibly consisting of under prints) theropod trackway of the animal that had the same shape and size of the foot.

The tracks on the right don't have the distinctive features, so I couldn't figure out their makers (yet).

Dinosaurs were messy ...

... when leaving their tracks!

So, you have decided on finding your own dinosaur tracks? The ones nobody has noticed yet? Or at least nobody has  announced his/her finds publicly. You are expecting to find a nice trackway on a relatively flat rocky surface? Possibly three-toed nice and clear theropod footprints in a sequence? Yeah, right! Chances of finding a track like that are almost equal to finding a nicely preserved relatively complete and articulated fossil skeleton. 

Take a look at the muddy paths where humans and animals left their traces today or yesterday. Are these all well defined traces? Come back in a week and see what's left of them. Consider that dinosaurs left their tracks millions of years ago...

Here is my attempt of interpreting some (probable) theropod tracks from Pula, that are about 100 million years old. They were preserved during the low tide.