Vertebrate Traces

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(19 total)

Dimetrodon tracks
Dimetrodon tracks
© 2000 West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey

Dinosaur footprint
Dinosaur footprint
© 2003 Otto S. Zapecza

Pseudobradypus
Pseudobradypus
© 2009 Nova Scotia Museum

What are Vertebrate Traces? Vertebrate traces include the impressions of activities such as feeding, burrowing, resting, walking, or crawling. Vertebrates living in the water, like whales, fish, crocodiles, mosasaurs, or ichthyosaurs, only rarely leave traces in sediments; however, they may leave feeding traces on their prey. Bite marks can be found on many fossils, such as ammonites and bivalves. Terrestrial vertebrates, such as dinosaurs, birds, amphibians, snakes, and many mammals, may leave footprints, bite marks, or even evidence of what they ate in the form of fossilized dung (coprolites). The oldest definitive vertebrate trace fossils are from the Carboniferous.

First known fossil occurrence: Carboniferous.

Last known fossil occurrence: Quaternary. This group has living relatives.

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See Vertebrate Traces from the:

Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Precambrian
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