Evazoum "prosauropod" tracks from Upper Triassic of Bavaria + Jinjuichnus, new pterosaur tracks from Early Cretaceous of Korea
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Ben Creisler
Apr 16, 2026, 11:32:45 AM (10 days ago) Apr 16
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Ben Creisler
New papers:
Simone D’Orazi Porchetti, Uwe Knoch, Wolfgang Claus, Timo Pechtold, Matthias Wulf & Alexander Wagensommer (2026)
The tetradactyl archosaur footprint ichnogenus Evazoum from the Coburger Sandstein (Hassberge Formation, Upper Triassic, Carnian) of Northern Bavaria, Germany
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie – Abhandlungen (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1127/njgpa/1309
https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/njgpa/detail/prepub/108244/The_tetradactyl_archosaur_footprint_ichnogenus_Evazoum_from_the_Coburger_Sandstein_Hassberge_Formation_Upper_Triassic_Carnian_of_Northern_Bavaria_Germany
Various slabs with bipedal tetradactyl footprints from Franconia (Northern Bavaria), collected in the Coburger Sandstein (Hassberge Formation, Upper Triassic, Carnian) over a period of thirty years of activity by non-professional palaeontologists, are here ichnotaxonomically identified as Evazoum. This new occurrence, along with previous discoveries from nearby areas, shows that Evazoum is much more common in the Late Triassic of south-central Germany than previously thought. The material represents some of the best-preserved specimens known to date from Europe. Evazoum is confirmed to be the tetradactyl footprint of a fully bipedal trackmaker, which retains an anteriorly-directed pedal digit one. Weight load is highest on the outer digits, the pedes point inward to the trackway midline in walking phase. This configuration represents a specific adaptation of bipedal locomotion, limited to a group of Late Triassic to Early Jurassic archosaurs, which in accordance with previous studies we consider most likely to be basal sauropodomorphs (“prosauropods”). The identification of “prosauropod” tracks in the Carnian ichnofaunas of Germany closes an ichnological gap, as basal sauropodomorphs are well-represented in the Late Triassic (Norian) skeletal record from the same area. Associated ichnotaxa include Grallator, Brachychirotherium, Rhynchosauroides and Procolophonichnium.
The tetradactyl archosaur footprint ichnogenus Evazoum from the Coburger Sandstein (Hassberge Formation, Upper Triassic, Carnian) of Northern Bavaria, Germany
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie – Abhandlungen (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1127/njgpa/1309
https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/njgpa/detail/prepub/108244/The_tetradactyl_archosaur_footprint_ichnogenus_Evazoum_from_the_Coburger_Sandstein_Hassberge_Formation_Upper_Triassic_Carnian_of_Northern_Bavaria_Germany
Various slabs with bipedal tetradactyl footprints from Franconia (Northern Bavaria), collected in the Coburger Sandstein (Hassberge Formation, Upper Triassic, Carnian) over a period of thirty years of activity by non-professional palaeontologists, are here ichnotaxonomically identified as Evazoum. This new occurrence, along with previous discoveries from nearby areas, shows that Evazoum is much more common in the Late Triassic of south-central Germany than previously thought. The material represents some of the best-preserved specimens known to date from Europe. Evazoum is confirmed to be the tetradactyl footprint of a fully bipedal trackmaker, which retains an anteriorly-directed pedal digit one. Weight load is highest on the outer digits, the pedes point inward to the trackway midline in walking phase. This configuration represents a specific adaptation of bipedal locomotion, limited to a group of Late Triassic to Early Jurassic archosaurs, which in accordance with previous studies we consider most likely to be basal sauropodomorphs (“prosauropods”). The identification of “prosauropod” tracks in the Carnian ichnofaunas of Germany closes an ichnological gap, as basal sauropodomorphs are well-represented in the Late Triassic (Norian) skeletal record from the same area. Associated ichnotaxa include Grallator, Brachychirotherium, Rhynchosauroides and Procolophonichnium.
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Free pdf:
Jinjuichnus procerus ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov.
Jongyun Jung, Kyung Soo Kim, Lida Xing & Byung-Do Choi (2026)
New large pterosaur tracks from Korea and their implications on terrestrial behavior
Scientific Reports 16: 12363
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-48019-y
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-48019-y
Pterosaurs were important components of Mesozoic ecosystems, occupying diverse ecological niches from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous. Among them, neoazhdarchians have been hypothesized as terrestrial carnivorous based on anatomical and functional evidence, yet direct indications of predation on land have remained elusive. Here we report Jinjuichnus procerus ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov., a new pterosaur track discovered in the Jinju Formation of South Korea. The track, characterized by a compact and long metatarsus in its pedal configuration, is consistent with neoazhdarchian pterosaurs. The trackway is preserved in close association with a small tetrapod trackway that exhibits abrupt changes in direction and increased stride length. This association provides the potential ichnological evidence of terrestrial vertebrate interaction by a pterosaur. Nonetheless, an alternative interpretation of the two trackways remains possible, making it difficult to confirm any direct interaction between the trackmakers. The paired trackways offer insight into the factors to consider when evaluating potential interactions with the trackmaker. While scenarios such as predation remain ambiguous, they nonetheless highlight the interpretive complexity inherent in assessing behavioral associations preserved in trackway assemblages.
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