Teratopodus
{{Short description|Dinosaur footprint}}
{{Ichnobox
| fossil_range = Late Cretaceous, (Campanian), {{fossilrange|83|74.5}}
| image =
| taxon = Teratopodus
| authority = Tomaselli et al., 2022
| type_ichnospecies = {{extinct}}Teratopodus malarguensis
| type_ichnospecies_authority = Tomaselli et al., 2022
| subdivision_ranks = Ichnospecies
}}
Teratopodus (meaning "monstrous foot") is an ichnogenus of titanosaurian sauropod footprint. It includes a single species, T. malarguensis, known from prints found in the Late Cretaceous Anacleto Formation of Argentina. The Teratopodus tracks represent some of the best sauropod pes tracks currently known from South America.
Description
The trackway was created by two titanosaur individuals, one of which was about {{Convert|11|m|ft}} long, while the other was about {{Convert|14|m|ft}} long. Analysis of the fossils shows that the dinosaurs walked from an area of humid ground to a more flooded area.{{Cite journal|last1=Tomaselli|first1=María Belén|last2=Ortiz David|first2=Leonardo Daniel|last3=González Riga|first3=Bernardo Javier|last4=Coria|first4=Juan Pedro|last5=Mercado|first5=Claudio Ramón|last6=Guerra|first6=Mauricio|last7=Sánchez Tiviroli|first7=Germán|date=2022-01-01|title=New titanosaurian sauropod tracks with exceptionally well-preserved claw impressions from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019566712100238X|journal=Cretaceous Research|language=en|volume=129|pages=104990|doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104990|bibcode=2022CrRes.12904990T |s2cid=238695181|issn=0195-6671|url-access=subscription}}
Paleoenvironment
File:Fm Anacleto Auca Mahuida 2.jpg
Several titanosaurs are known from the Anacleto Formation, including Pitekunsaurus,{{Cite journal|last1=Filippi|first1=Leonardo S.|last2=Garrido|first2=Alberto C.|date=2008|title=Pitekunsaurus macayai gen. et sp. nov., nuevo titanosaurio (Saurischia, Sauropoda) del Cretácico Superior de la Cuenca Neuquina, Argentina|url=https://www.ameghiniana.org.ar/index.php/ameghiniana/article/view/712|journal=Ameghiniana|language=es|volume=45|issue=3|pages=575–590|issn=1851-8044}} Narambuenatitan,{{Cite journal|last1=Filippi|first1=Leonardo S.|last2=García|first2=Rodolfo A.|last3=Garrido|first3=Alberto C.|date=2011|title=A New Titanosaur Sauropod Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of North Patagonia, Argentina|url=http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app56/app20100019.pdf|journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica|language=en|volume=56|issue=3|pages=505–520|doi=10.4202/app.2010.0019|s2cid=62837802|issn=0567-7920}} Barrosasaurus,{{Cite journal|last1=Salgado|first1=Leonardo|last2=Coria|first2=Rodolfo A.|date=2009-12-31|title=Barrosasaurus casamiquelai gen. et sp. nov., a new titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Anacleto Formation (Late Cretaceous: early Campanian) of Sierra Barrosa (Neuquén, Argentina)|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285876346|journal=Zootaxa|volume=2222|pages=1–16|doi=10.5281/zenodo.190129}} and Neuquensaurus.{{Cite journal|last=Otero|first=Alejandro|date=2010|title=The Appendicular Skeleton of Neuquensaurus, a Late Cretaceous Saltasaurine Sauropod from Patagonia, Argentina|url=http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app55/app20090099.pdf|journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica|language=en|volume=55|issue=3|pages=399–426|doi=10.4202/app.2009.0099|s2cid=55090440|issn=0567-7920}} One of these dinosaurs potentially could have made the Teratopodus prints. Remains of the ornithopod Gasparinisaura{{Cite journal|last1=Coria|first1=Rodolfo A.|last2=Salgado|first2=Leonardo|date=1996-09-19|title=A basal iguanodontian (Ornithischia: Ornithopoda) from the Late Cretaceous of South America|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.1996.10011333|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology|volume=16|issue=3|pages=445–457|doi=10.1080/02724634.1996.10011333|bibcode=1996JVPal..16..445C |issn=0272-4634|url-access=subscription}} and the theropods Abelisaurus{{Cite journal|last1=Bonaparte|first1=J.|last2=Novas|first2=E.E.|date=1985|title=Abelisaurus comahuensis, n.g., n.sp., Carnosauria del Crétacico Tardio de Patagonia|trans-title=Abelisaurus comahuensis, n.g., n.sp., Carnosauria from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237714676|journal=Ameghiniana|volume=21|pages=259–265|via=ResearchGate}} and Aucasaurus{{Cite journal|last1=Coria|first1=Rodolfo A.|last2=Chiappe|first2=Luis M.|last3=Dingus|first3=Lowell|date=2002-07-08|title=A new close relative of Carnotaurus sastrei Bonaparte 1985 (Theropoda: Abelisauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1671/0272-4634%282002%29022%5B0460%3AANCROC%5D2.0.CO%3B2|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology|volume=22|issue=2|pages=460–465|doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0460:ANCROC]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=131148538 |issn=0272-4634|url-access=subscription}} have also been recovered from the formation.