Primera evidencia de morfología del pie en saurópodos en el grupo Urbión de la Cuenca de Cameros (Cretácico Inferior, Soria, España) First evidence on the sauropod pedal morphology in the Urbión Group from the Lower Cretaceous of the Cameros Basin (Soria, Spain)

A sauropod footprint showing novel anatomical characters was discovered within the Urbion Group (Barremian-Aptian) and it is here described. It is located in the El Majadal tracksite. The footprint is characterized by five digit marks oriented anteriorly (I), anterolaterally (II-III) and laterally (IV-V). The claw marks can only be recognized in digits I, II and III. As yet, the anterior orientation of digit I is a character that has not been described in any ichnotaxon from the Early Cretaceous. The footprint also shows a lateral indentation similar to that of Brontopodus birdi from the Aptian-Albian of the USA. Taking into account the age, the skeletal record and the similar features between the footprint and a sauropod trackway from the same tracksite, the Titanosauriformes could be the best candidates to have produced the sauropod footprints from this tracksite.