Hadrosaur Locomotion and Herding Behavior: Evidence from Footprints in The Mesaverde Formation, Grand Mesa Coal Field, Colorado
Abstract
Dinosaur footprint casts from a Mesaverde (Campanian) coal mine near Gunnison, Colorado resemble those of the notorious "mystery dinosaur, Xosaurus" which was probably a giant hadrosaur. Existing footprint descriptions, although obscure and hard to verify, are too important to overlook, particularity since debate over hadrosaur speeds currently focuses only on a single, apparently ambiguous trackway. Hindlimb/foot ratios and stride-length estimates based on comparisons with other animals should be modified using actual measurements of hadrosaurs. Mesaverde trackway data indicates that hadrosaurs were usually slow moving, although this does not imply that they were incapable of running. The frequency and preferred orientation of their prints suggests high relative abundance and gregarious group activity (herding), which was probably an effective defense strategy. Footprints of a carnosaur are also associated with those of the hadrosaurs.
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