Dinosaur Tracksites and Megatracksites of the Colorado Plateau Region: Implications for Paleoenvironmental and Paleobiological Analysis

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The recognition of Megatracksites covering hundreds or even thousands of square kilometers is unprecedented in the history of paleoenvironmental research. Preliminary indications suggest that they are intimately related to unconformities and can be tied to sea-level fluctuations. This research will focus on careful analysis of at least two of the three megatracksites currently known in the western USA. Continued analysis of a large number of less extensive tracksites will reveal if any belong to megatracksite complexes or can be explained in terms of similar depositional/paleoenvironmental controls. Data acquisition at all sites will be used to expand a comprehensive catalog and furnish statistically sound census data. Because trackways are so good in the Colorado Plateau region, they will, if systematically analysed, serve as excellent models for dinosaur trackways research in other regions worldwide.