Fast-running mid-sized theropod tracks from Inner Mongolia, China
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Ben Creisler
Aug 16, 2025, 3:08:29 PMAug 16
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Ben Creisler
A new paper not yet mentioned:
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Yang Li, Lifu Zhang, Shunxing Jiang, Qi Wu, Muren Qi & Xiaolin Wang (2025)
The fastest-running theropod trackway in the Cretaceous from Inner Mongolia, China
SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences (advance online publication)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-025-1657-7
https://www.sciengine.com/SCES/doi/10.1007/s11430-025-1657-7
The maximum locomotor capabilities of theropod dinosaurs have long been a subject of considerable scholarly, primarily due to the lack of contemporary species for direct comparison. Biomechanical modeling and the analysis of dinosaur trackways have yielded significant theoretical insights into this area of research. This study investigates the running speed of a mid-sized theropod dinosaur trackway recently identified in the Otog region of Inner Mongolia, and it juxtaposes these findings with other running theropod trackways from diverse various global locations utilizing standardized inference methodologies. The results indicate that the trackmaker was capable of achieving a running speed of 45 or 41±4.9 km h-1, thereby establishing it as the fastest-running theropod trackway documented from the Cretaceous period. Additionally, this paper reviews biomechanical investigations concerning the maximum running speeds of theropod dinosaurs and illustrates that the inferred speed of this mid-sized theropod aligns with the predictions of the majority of biomechanical models, thereby providing compelling new evidence to enhance our understanding of the locomotor capabilities of mid-sized theropods.
The fastest-running theropod trackway in the Cretaceous from Inner Mongolia, China
SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences (advance online publication)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-025-1657-7
https://www.sciengine.com/SCES/doi/10.1007/s11430-025-1657-7
The maximum locomotor capabilities of theropod dinosaurs have long been a subject of considerable scholarly, primarily due to the lack of contemporary species for direct comparison. Biomechanical modeling and the analysis of dinosaur trackways have yielded significant theoretical insights into this area of research. This study investigates the running speed of a mid-sized theropod dinosaur trackway recently identified in the Otog region of Inner Mongolia, and it juxtaposes these findings with other running theropod trackways from diverse various global locations utilizing standardized inference methodologies. The results indicate that the trackmaker was capable of achieving a running speed of 45 or 41±4.9 km h-1, thereby establishing it as the fastest-running theropod trackway documented from the Cretaceous period. Additionally, this paper reviews biomechanical investigations concerning the maximum running speeds of theropod dinosaurs and illustrates that the inferred speed of this mid-sized theropod aligns with the predictions of the majority of biomechanical models, thereby providing compelling new evidence to enhance our understanding of the locomotor capabilities of mid-sized theropods.
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Ben Creisler
Nov 15, 2025, 1:54:12 PMNov 15
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The final article is now available with a free pdf, although the pdf link is NOT on the main article page, but is in the full issue contents page links (https://www.sciengine.com/SCES/issue/68/11). The copied pdf link below should work.
Yang LI, Lifu ZHANG, Shunxing JIANG, Qi WU, Muren QI & Xiaolin WANG (2025)
The fastest-running theropod trackway in the Cretaceous from Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences 68(1): 3495-3505
Free pdf:
Yang LI, Lifu ZHANG, Shunxing JIANG, Qi WU, Muren QI & Xiaolin WANG (2025)
The fastest-running theropod trackway in the Cretaceous from Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences 68(1): 3495-3505
The maximum locomotor capabilities of theropod dinosaurs have long been a subject of considerable scholarly, primarily due to the lack of contemporary species for direct comparison. Biomechanical modeling and the analysis of dinosaur trackways have yielded significant theoretical insights into this area of research. This study investigates the running speed of a mid-sized theropod dinosaur trackway recently identified in the Otog region of Inner Mongolia, and it juxtaposes these findings with other running theropod trackways from diverse various global locations utilizing standardized inference methodologies. The results indicate that the trackmaker was capable of achieving a running speed of 45 or 41±4.9 km/h, thereby establishing it as the fastest-running theropod trackway documented from the Cretaceous period. Additionally, this paper reviews biomechanical investigations concerning the maximum running speeds of theropod dinosaurs and illustrates that the inferred speed of this mid-sized theropod aligns with the predictions of the majority of biomechanical models, thereby providing compelling new evidence to enhance our understanding of the locomotor capabilities of mid-sized theropods.
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