Theropod (Dinosauria: Saurischia) tracks from Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Sihetun Village, Liaoning Province, China and possible track makers

Herein we describe three and one half footprints that pertain to Grallator isp. from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation, Sihetun, Liaoning Province, China. This is the first description of dinosaur footprints from the Yixian Formation. The tracks were left by at least three individual track makers. It is estimated from the tracks that the body lengths of the track makers were 1.51 m, which is the average length of known theropods from the Yixian Formation. The feet of Caudipteryx and Sinosauropteryx were reconstructed. The former was more similar than the latter to the Grallator isp. track outlines. Feet capable of registering Grallator morphotype tracks may therefore have been widely distributed in small-medium sized theropods (other than dromaeosaurids and troodontids) from the Yixian Formation.