新近野外调查发现,山东诸城西北棠棣戈庄下白垩统大盛群发育蜥脚类恐龙足迹化石,其赋存于大盛群田家楼组紫红色细砂岩、泥质粉砂岩、粉砂质泥岩和黄绿色粉砂岩韵律层中。研究区共发现29个恐龙足迹化石,其中有23个构成1条半圆形行迹,初步研究确定造迹者为蜥脚类恐龙,个体较小、身长3~4m、处于漫步状态。根据岩层中共生发育的小型槽状交错层理、板状交错层理、爬升波纹层理、水平层理、雨痕、泥裂等沉积构造,认为研究区下白垩统大盛群为滨浅湖沉积,可进一步划分出砂质滩坝、滩坝边缘、沙泥混合滩及泥滩等沉积微相,恐龙足迹化石产在砂质滩坝微相细砂岩、粉砂岩层面上。河湖相细砂岩、粉砂岩有利于恐龙足迹化石赋存,也暗示蜥脚类恐龙喜好在湖岸边活动,表明生活习性与生存环境具有一定的相互制约关系。
In recent field investigation, sauropod footprint fossils were found in the Lower Cretaceous Dasheng Group Tianjialou Formation which consists of red sandstone, argillaceous sihstone, silty mud stone, yellowish green silty sandstone at Tangdigezhuang Village of Zhucheng, Shandong Province. There were 29 dinosaur footprints found in study area, and 23 footprints of them formed a semicircle trackway from northeast to southwest. Characteristics of the footprints suggest that they were made by a sauropod with 34 meter long, when walking slowly along lakeshore. The footprintbearing layer of the Dasheng Group includes small trough crossbedding, tabular crossbedding, climbing ripple bedding, horizontal bedding, rain marks and mud cracks, indicating a sedimentary environment of shoreshallow lake. Sandy beach bar, beach bar edge, sand and mud mixed beach, mudflats, etc., are subdivided, and dinosaur footprints are on the surface of the fine sandstone and sihstone of sandy beach bar. In terms of the above mentioned, the favorable preservation environment of dinosaur footprints is fluvial and shoreshallow lake. Meanwhile, characteristics of dinosaur footprints and the sedimentary environment of footprintbearing rock indicate a relationship of mutual restriction between the dinosaurs living habits and environment.