Early Cretaceous large theropod footprints from the Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province

Described herein are two large theropod tracks from the Lower Cretaceous Donghe Group in Shaojian Village, Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province. The tracks are attributed to Megalosauripus isp. The Donghe Group is contemporaneous with the Jehol Biota. Megalosauripus isp. at the Shaojian track site can be compared with the foot structure of large theropods of the Jehol Biota. Furthermore, the length of the track maker of Megalosauripus isp. is approximately 7.4 m, which suggests that large theropods occurred in central-southern Shaanxi Province in the Lower Cretaceous. The discovery of Megalosauripus isp. adds a new member to Lower Cretaceous dinosaur footprints in China, and also indicates the very probable discovery of large-sized theropod dinosaur skeletons from the Lower Cretaceous sediments of this area in the near future.