Middle Jurassic Ichnofauna of the High Atlas: The Imilchil Track Assemblages

A breakthrough discovery in the High Atlas of Morocco has revealed a diverse Middle Jurassic ecosystem, featuring rare bird-like footprints and colossal theropod tracks.

Expedition Overview

Between 2008 and 2009, joint expeditions by the JuraPark Explorer Team and the Polish Geological Institute, led by Dr. Gerard Gierliński, uncovered three major tracksites near the village of Imilchil in the Central High Atlas. The mission documented a rich Middle Jurassic ichnofauna in the Bajocian and Bathonian beds.

Scientific Findings

The documented track assemblages provide significant insight into the biodiversity of the period. Key findings include:

• Theropod Diversity: Traces of small (Wildeichnus), medium (Carmelopodus, Jialingpus), and large carnivorous dinosaurs (Changpeipus, Therangospodus).
• Colossal Discoveries: The region revealed “colossal” theropod footprints that distinguish themselves from standard “giant” tracks, providing new data on dinosaur demographics.
• Bird-like Ancestors: Notably, the expedition discovered small tridactyl bird-like imprints (Trisauropodiscus), pushing back our understanding of avian-like locomotion in the Jurassic.
• Sauropods and Thyreophorans: The sites also preserved trackways of long-necked sauropods (Parabrontopodus) and armored dinosaurs (Stegopodus), the latter being documented for the first time in North Africa during these missions.

Hero Image Caption: Dr. Gerard Gierliński documenting the main track-bearing surface at Site A, showing randomly oriented theropod footprints in the Central High Atlas.

References

Gierliński, G. D., et al. (2009). A preliminary report on dinosaur track assemblages from the Middle Jurassic of the Imilchil area, Morocco. Geological Quarterly, 53(4), 477-482.

[GALLERY_CAPTIONS]

• 01_mapa_imilchil.jpg: Map of the Central High Atlas showing the location of the dinosaur tracksites near Imilchil.
• 02_theropod_tracks_siteA.jpg: Main track-bearing surface at Site A (Bajocian). Arrows indicate trackways of the sauropod Parabrontopodus sp. (A) and the theropod Changpeipus sp. (B).
• 03_dinosaur_track_diversity.jpg: Diverse isolated footprints found at Site A. This “catalogue” includes (A) the tiny Wildeichnus sp., (B) Jialingpus sp., (C) Carmelopodus sp., (D) Therangospodus sp., and (E) the ornithopod Dinehichnus sp.
• 04_trisauropodiscus_birdlike.jpg: Detailed view of bird-like footprints from the Bathonian layers. (A, B) Trisauropodiscus sp. and (C) Anomoepus sp., showing the early evolution of avian-like foot morphology.
• 05_stegopodus_thyreophoran.jpg: Trackway of Stegopodus sp. (A, B), representing the first record of a thyreophoran (armored dinosaur) trackmaker in the Middle Jurassic of North Africa.