Saltopoides igualensis ” Lapparent & Montenat, 1967

Moreau, Jean-David, Vullo, Romain, Bichr, Elsie, Thomas, Jérôme, Gand, Georges, Gagnaison, Cyril, Barrier, Pascal & Néraudeau, Didier, 2024, Crocodylomorph and dinosaur tracks from the lowermost Jurassic of Le Veillon (western France): ichnotaxonomic revision of the type material (Lapparent collection), Geodiversitas 46 (8), pp. 343-366 : 358

“ Saltopoides igualensis ” Lapparent & Montenat, 1967 (nomen dubium) ( Fig. 11 )

Saltopoides igualensis Lapparent & Montenat, 1967: 27 , pl. XII.4, fig. 15.

EXAMINED MATERIAL. — Holotype: ULB-04C01_B (plaster cast) . — Other specimen: ULB-04C01_A .

DESCRIPTION

The tracks are tridactyl, longer than wide (L/W = 1.32-(1.36)- 1.40), 15.5-(16)- 16.5 cm long and 11-(11.75)- 12.5 cm wide; Fig. 11 ; Table 2 ). Impressions of digits are quite wide with well-distinguished claw marks. The free part of III is quite short (L/D = 2.6-(2.8)-3.1). The divarication angle between digits II and IV is large (II-IV = 49.0°-(51.5°)-54.0°) and D is short (L/D = 1.31-(1.36)-1.41). The digito-metatarsal pad of digit IV is much more proximal than that of digit II.

REMARKS Based on a poorly preserved trackway composed of three tridactyl footprints (only the distal parts of digits are partially preserved), Lapparent & Montenat (1967) erected “ Saltopoides igalensis ” and (without providing any diagnosis). Lapparent & Montenat (1967) justified the erection of the ichnogenus “ Saltopoides ” by an asymmetry of the footprint and the particularly long length of the pace between footprints. Lapparent & Montenat (1967) suggested that the trackmaker was a “jumping dinosaur”. A recent survey in 2022 on the tidal flat of Le Veillon could not the find the type trackway of “ S. igalensis ” that has most probably eroded away. It appears that measured characteristics of ULB-04C01_A and ULB-04C01_B (plaster cast of one of the footprints of the type trackway) differ from other tridactyl tracks from Le Veillon that do not show such a proximal base of digit IV compared to digit II. However, without any possibility to revise the now-destroyed type trackway, the ichnotaxonomic validity of “ S. igalensis ” remains questionable.

Figures

FIG. 11. — Plaster cast of one footprint from the type trackway of “Saltopoides igalensis”, that is here invalidated:A-C, track ULB-04C01_B, photograph (A), DEM and false-colour depth map (B) and interpretative sketch (C). Scale bars: 5 cm.