Equatorial Dinosaurs During the Opening of Atlantic Ocean: The São Luís Basin Footprints

The dinosaur footprints and trackways of São Luís BasinSão Luís basin are found in six ichnosites of São Luís and Alcântara counties: Ponta da Guia, Ponta do FarolPonta do Farol tracksite, Praia do BoqueirãoPraia do Boqueirão tracksite, Ilha do MedoIlha do Medo, tracksite, Praia da Baronesa and Praia Prefeitura de AlcântaraPraia Prefeitura de Alcântara tracksite. There are trackways and isolated footprints attributed to small and large theropodsTheropods, sauropods and ornithopods.Ornithopods These footprints occur in the CenomanianCenomanian fine-grained quartz sandstones of the Alcântara FormationAlcântara formation. The track-bearing strata of the São Luís BasinSão Luís basin compose the São Luís MegatracksiteSão Luís Megatracksite, with the tracksites of this region located along the early equatorialEquatorial seashore of the Atlantic OceanAtlantic ocean. The environmental scenery during the CenomanianCenomanian comprises many sub environments associated with an estuaryEstuary environment that occupied a low-gradient coastal plainLow-gradient coastal plain. Distinct dinosaur clades are found in these environments. Palynological data are consistent with the inference of a tidal flatTidal flat of a low-gradient coastal plainLow-gradient coastal plain under dry and hot climateHot climate inhabited by the trackmakers.