Minisauripus
Minisauripus is an ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint. Minisauripus is regarded as the smallest dinosaur ever discovered. It was less than 20 cm (7.8 inches) long. Its footprints have been found in the Jinju Formation and the Feitianshan Formation, a low-energy lake formation. Its footprints were found within the vicinity of those of the larger Jialingpus.
| Minisauripus | |
|---|---|
Trace fossil classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Ichnogenus: | †Minisauripus Zhen et al., 1995 |
| Type ichnospecies | |
| †Minisauripus chuanzhuensis Zhen et al., 1995 | |
| Other ichnospecies | |
| |
Identification
Based on the trackways, Minisauripus was possibly a hatchling theropod. However, ichnopalaeontologists aren't sure if it belonged to an actual juvenile dinosaur. The Minisauripus tracks show three distinct toes, unlike the tracks of similar-sized small dromaeosaurids such as Dromaeosauripus rarus, which are didactyl, with the "killer claw" on the inner toe being held off the ground and thus not preserved in the trackway.
See also
References
Glut, Donald F. (2003). "Appendix: Dinosaur Tracks and Eggs". Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia. 3rd Supplement. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 613–652. ISBN 0-7864-1166-X.