John Day Fossil Beds Tracks

[Jerry Harris]

Not dinosaur related except some bird tracks are involved:

Following their footsteps: Report of vertebrate fossil tracks from John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon, USA

Conner J. Bennett, Nicholas A. Famoso, and Daniel I. Hembree

https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2025/5469-john-day-fossil-tracks

ABSTRACT: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (JODA) preserves an exceptional geologic record stretching from the upper Eocene to the upper Miocene (50-6 Ma) of Oregon. These strata contain countless well-preserved vertebrate body fossils for which JODA is famous. While great emphasis has been placed on the study of the body fossils of JODA, comparatively little work has been done on vertebrate and invertebrate tracks recovered from the area. Four specimens with vertebrate tracks are known from JODA, which detail the behaviors of at least four separate types of trackmaker. These include avian and possible lacertiform reptile tracks from the Eocene upper Clarno Formation (50-39 Ma) and superimposed feliform tracks and a tridactyl ungulate track from the Oligocene Turtle Cove Member of the John Day Formation (31-26 Ma). We used commercially available software (Agisoft Metashape Professional) to produce 3-dimensional and digital elevation models (DEMs) of each track surface. The models allow digital preservation and remote study of the specimens, enable an enhanced resolution of surface features, and provide the means to acquire more accurate measurement of the tracks and trackways. The Clarno Formation tracks are the only evidence to suggest that both birds and lizards were present in the John Day Basin during the Eocene, providing a greater knowledge of faunal diversity at this time. The John Day Formation tracks bear resemblance to animals already known from the Turtle Cove Member from body fossils, such as false sabertooth cats (nimravids) and odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls). Combined with the body fossil record, the JODA tracks provide important insights into the fauna, environment, and behaviors of taxa through the Eocene and Oligocene of Oregon.