Dinosaur Footprints and Trackways from the Northeastern U.S.
J & H PaleoScience: Vertebrate Ichnology. Fossil foot prints and track ways from Massachusetts MA, Connecticut CT, New York NY, New Jersey NJ, Pennsylvania PA, Maryland MD




Portland Formation (CT) - All footprints shown here are from Connecticut, and are from the early Jurassic Period (200 mya) from the Portland Formation. Typical ichnotaxon list: Anchisauripus, Anomoepus, Batrachopus, Eubrontes, Grallator, Otozoum, and others.

Anchisauripus
(large theropod dinosaur)




photo in-situ and not collected





FIRST ROW: 1) Two Anchisauripus sillimanni tracks, 9 and 8 inches apiece. 2) An Anchisauripus track on a ripple slab, 6 inches long. 3) An Anchisauripus track, 5 inches long without the nail. 4) An Anchisauripus track, 6.5 inches long. 5) Two Anchisauripus sillimanni tracks (cast and mold), 7 inches long. 6) An Anchisauripus track, 8 inches long.
SECOND ROW: 7) An Anchisauripus track, 6 inches long. 8) Anchisauripus track, 6.5 inches. 9) Anchisauripus track, 7 inches long. 10) Anchisauripus track, 8 inches long. 11) Anchisauripus track, left pes Photo 11 [Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, YPM. ŠPeabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. All rights reserved.] 12) A 6 inch Anchisauripus track with 1 inch claws.
THIRD ROW: 13) A near perfect 7 inch Anchisauripus footprint with clear pad and claw definition. 14) A stunning 8 inch Anchisauripus (sillimanni) footprint with clear pad and claw definition. 15) A spectacular 8 inch Anchisauripus (sillimanni) track with clear pad and claw definition. 16) A 7 inch (Positive and Negative) pair of Anchisauripus dinosaur footprints. 17) A 6 inch long, very deep impression of an Anchisauripus. 18) A stunning 9 inch Anchisauripus (exertus) footprint with clear pad and claw definition.
FOURTH ROW: 19-20) Two photos of the same Anchisauripus print. This one is very special to me since it's my son's first print found. Brandon was only 5 year old. 21-24) On the back of Brandon's slab are these two possible Anchisauripus casts, the mold is photo number 22. Print #22 was not collected and was photographed in-situ.
FIFTH ROW: 25-26) Anchisauripus tracks approximately 6.5 inches in length. 27) Anchisauripus tracks approximately 7.5 inches in length. 28) Anchisauripus tracks approximately 7 inches in length. 29-30) Anchisauripus tracks approximately 6 inches in length.
SIXTH ROW: 31) Anchisauripus track approximately 9 inches in length. 32) A plate of two very large Anchisauripus tracks travelling in a similar direction. These footprints measure approximately 8 inches and 7.5 inches for the upper one. 33) A slab of three Anchisauripus hitchcocki footprints. The slab measures approximately 11 x 8 inches, the size range of the 3 prints are approximately 3/4/5 inches respectively. 34) An Anchisauripus hitchcocki footprint about 4.5 inches in length. 35) An Anchisauripus hitchcocki footprint about 4 inches in length. 36) An Anchisauripus sillimani footprint about 9 inches in length.
SEVENTH ROW: 37) An Anchisauripus sillimani footprint about 7 inches in length. 38) Anchisauripus track approximately 6 inches in length. 39) Anchisauripus tracks approximately 7 inches in length. 40) Anchisauripus hitchcocki footprint measures approximately 5.5 inches in length. 41-42) Anchisauripus hitchcocki tracks each measures approximately 5.5 inches in length.
EIGHT ROW: 43) A possible juvenile Anchisauripus track with the hallux impression on the lower right of the footprint. This track is on reddish micaceous shale and measures about 2.5 inches in length. 44) Anchisauripus 7.5 inch track on grey micaceous shale. 45) Anchisauripus 6.5 inch track. 46) Anchisauripus 9 inch track. 47) Anchisauripus 7 inch track on redish shale. 48) Anchisauripus 7 inch track on redish micaceous shale.
NINTH ROW: 49) Anchisauripus 8 inch track. 50) Anchisauripus 10 inch track. 51) Anchisauripus 7 inch track on ripple rock. 52-54) Anchisauripus 6 inch track with an assemblage of carbonized plant remains. 55) 4 Anchisauripus hitchcocki tracks 4-5 inches.


Anomoepus
(ornithischian dinosaur)



FIRST ROW: 1) One 5 inch Anomoepus track on grayish shale. 2) An Anomoepus track made by an Ornithiscian dinosaur which evolved into the impressive and very large herbivorous Hadrosaur's. Unlike the Grallator/Anchisauripus complex, Anomoepus foot digits are splayed farther apart; seemingly bird-like in structure. This specimen measures approximately 6 inches in length. 3) One 4.5 inch Anomoepus track. 4) Anomoepus tracks found with the hind-foot (pes) and fore-foot (manus) together. The pes track measures approximately 3 inches. The manus track measures approximately 1 inch and displays 5 toes. 5) One 6 inch Anomoepus track.
SECOND ROW: 6) The largest footprint is a Grallator which measures about 7.5 Inches in length. Next to it is a smaller one of the same ichno-genus which measures about 4.5 inches in length. Finally a 5.5 inch Anomoepus track on grey micaceous shale. 7) Juvenile Anomoepus track about 1.5 inches in length. 8) Anomoepus track about 5.5 inches in length. 9) An Anomoepus hind (pes) and forefoot (manus) tracks. The pes impression measures approximately 3 inches with an additional 2 inches indicating it was reared back on its hind legs. The manus impression measures roughly 1.5 inches and has 5 digits. Beside the pes is another manus with 3 digits being preserved. A plant stem is running across the upper portion of this red micaceous shale plate. 10) Anomoepus track 6.5 inches on grey shale.


Batrachopus deweyii
(crocodylomorph)



FIRST ROW: 1) A Batrachopus deweyii, 1.5 inches long. 2) A Batrachopus deweyii (manus and pes), 1 inch long pes. 3&4) A Batrachopus deweyii (manus and pes), pes is 1.5 inches long and a Grallator, 4 inches long. 5) Grallator track (one complete + one partial) with a Batrachopus crocodilian footprint set (manus/pes). Batrachopus footprints were made by the earliest crocodilians with new research indicating they were rather fleet of foot, not being slow moving targets for quick moving dinosaurs. This plate is composed of greyish micaceous shale. Grallator measures approximately 4 inches in length and the Batrachopus has both the hind footprint/pes impression (about 1.5 inches) and the manus or fore-foot impression (approximately 1/2 inch in length).
SECOND ROW: 6) A pes which is about an inch in length and the manus about a quarter to half an inch. 7) The manus impression measures about 3/4 of an inch while the pes measures approximately 1.5 inches. 8) This track measures about 1.5 inches in length. 9) The track is approximately 1.5 inches in length and consists of the positive/natural convex cast and the negative/concave impression. 10) The pes is in excellent high relief and measures about 1.5 inches while the manus measures approximately 0.5 inches and is somewhat vague.
THIRD ROW: 11-13) Batrachopus crocodilian trackway which measures about 0.5 inch manus and 1.5 inch pes, with a 7 stride. There is another 1.5 inch pes impression facing in the opposite direction. 14) A Batrachopus pes 2 inches long.


Eubrontes giganteus
(large theropod dinosaur)



FIRST ROW: 1) A Eubrontes giganteus track thought to have been made by the dinosaur Dilophosaurus, 12 inches long without the whole middle toe. 2) A Eubrontes print about 9" and missing the tip of the toe. 3-4) A slab with multiple prints. 5) A 12 inch Eubrontes giganteus.
SECOND ROW: 6-7) A huge Eubrontes track measuring about 18". 8) Eubrontes giganteus positive and negative tracks measuring approximately 12 inches on grey micaceous shale. 9) Eubrontes giganteus with 3 inches sheared off of the left toe which would have made this track approximately 12 inches on grey micaceous shale. 10) a 10 inch Eubrontes giganteus track with a large number of smaller 3 to 5 inch Grallator tracks on the same grey micaceous shale.
THIRD ROW: 11) An 11 inch Eubrontes giganteus.


Grallator
(medium theropod dinosaur)






the track was destroyed during removal



FIRST ROW:1) A Grallator cuneatus track, 5 inches long.
2) Two Grallator tracks, 5 inches long each.
3-5) Five Grallator tracks, three molds on one side and two casts on the back of the slab. All five prints are 6 inches long each.
SECOND ROW:6) Grallator track, 5 inch long.
7) Grallator track on ripple rock, 6 inch long.
8) Grallator track, 6 inch long.
9-10) Two different Grallator tracks, 4 & 5 inch long each. Note that, as expected, the first print is a mold and on the opposite side of the slab is a cast print. Both prints are from different dinosaurs, quite possibly who stepped on the same spot hundereds of years apart.
THIRD ROW:11) Two Grallator tracks, 6 & 5 inches long each. Note that one print is over the other.
12-13) A 6 inch Grallator mold, and an underprint on the other side of the slab.
14) A Grallator track, 7 inches long on ripple rock.
15) A 6 inch Grallator track.
FOURTH ROW:16) A 7 inch Grallator track.
17) A 9 inch Grallator track.
18) A 5 inch Grallator track on gray micaceous shale.
19) A 6.5 inch Grallator track on gray micaceous shale.
20) Two 3 inch Grallator tracks on reddish micaceous shale.
FIFTH ROW:21) A 4 inch Grallator track (broken) with a possible ghost print to the left of it.
22) Two 6 inch Grallator tracks fleshy pad and claw details along with claws marks of underprints.
23) 3 small Grallator tracks and one Anomoepus track. The Grallator track on the tapered end of the specimen measures approximately 3 inches, and the Grallator track in the middle measures about 2.5 inches. The last Grallator measures approximately 3.5 inches and has a very widely splayed example of an Anomoepus track stepping onto the back of it.
24) Grallator cuneatus track approximately 6 inches in length on natural grey shale.
25) Grallator cuneatus track approximately 5 inches in length on natural red shale with ripple marks.
SIXTH ROW:26-27) A possible Grallator on desiccation cracks.
28-29) A 7" Grallator track, positive and negative.
30) 4 inch track.
SEVENTH ROW:31) 7 inch track.
32) Grallator footprints going in the same direction; the footprints measure approximately 5, 6 and 7 inches respectively.
33) This specimen measures approximately 4.5 inches and is the positive or natural cast (not a reproduction) on reddish micaceous shale.
34) This specimen measures approximately 5.5 inches in length.
35) 2.5 inch juvenile Grallator track.
EIGTH ROW:36-37) Two 8 inch Grallator formosus track impressed on reddish shale.
38-39) Grallator cuneatus tracks each measure approximately 6 inches in length and one with nicely preserved pad and claw details on natural grey shale.
40) Grallator track approximately 3.5 inches in length on reddish micaceous shale.
NINTH ROW:41) Grallator track approximately 5.5 inches.
42) Grallator track approximately 3.5 inches.
43) Grallator track approximately 3.5 inches.
44) Grallator tracks approximately 5 inches on reddish shale.
45) Grallator track approximately 3.5 inches on grey micaceous shale.
TENTH ROW:46) Grallator track approximately 4 inches on grey micaceous shale with ripple marks.
Otozoum
(crocodylomorph)


FIRST TWO ROWS: 1-8) The same Otozoum trackway with close-ups of the skin prints. The specimen belongs to the Dinosaur State Park in CT.


Project In-Progress


FIRST ROW: 1-5) Various views of the construction site.
SECOND ROW: 6) A sloppy suspicious print. 7) Wrinkles from warping/shrinkage. 8-10)???
THIRD ROW: 11-14) A slab with a possible coprolite on one side and a print on the other.


Other
(ripples, desiccation cracks, etc)
FIRST ROW: 1-2) Insect trails. 3) A large slab with desiccation cracks.





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