Grallator Therapod Natural Dinosaur Footprint Fossil

Grallator Therapod Natural Dinosaur Footprint Fossil

Grallator ["GRA-luh-tor"] is an ichnogenus, a type of small, three-toed print made by a variety of bipedal theropod dinosaurs.  The name Grallator translates into "stilt walker", although the actual length and form of the trackmaking legs varied by species, usually unidentified. The related term "Grallae" is an ancient name for the presumed group of long-legged wading birds, such as storks and herons.

Grallator footprints are characteristically three-toed (tridactyl) and range from 10 to 20 centimeters (or 4 to 8 inches) long. Though the tracks show only three toes, the trackmakers likely had between four and five toes on their feet. While it is usually impossible to match these prints with the exact dinosaur species that left them, it is sometimes possible to narrow down potential trackmakers by comparing the proportions in individual Grallator ichnospecies with known dinosaurs of the same formation

Grallator-type footprints have been found in formations dating from the Early Triassic through to the early Cretaceous periods. They are found most abundant on the east coast of North America, especially in the Triassic and Early Jurassic formations of the northern part of the Newark Supergroup.