Original paper
The tetradactyl archosaur footprint ichnogenus Evazoum from the Coburger Sandstein (Hassberge Formation, Upper Triassic, Carnian) of Northern Bavaria, Germany
Porchetti, Simone D’Orazi; Knoch, Uwe; Claus, Wolfgang; Pechtold, Timo; Wulf, Matthias; Wagensommer, Alexander
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen (2026)
111 references
published online: Apr 16, 2026
manuscript accepted: Mar 8, 2026
manuscript received: Jan 21, 2026
DOI: 10.1127/njgpa/1309
Abstract
Various slabs with bipedal tetradactyl footprints from Franconia (Northern Bavaria), collected in the Coburger Sandstein (Hassberge Formation, Upper Triassic, Carnian) over a period of thirty years of activity by non-professional palaeontologists, are here ichnotaxonomically identified as Evazoum. This new occurrence, along with previous discoveries from nearby areas, shows that Evazoum is much more common in the Late Triassic of south-central Germany than previously thought. The material represents some of the best-preserved specimens known to date from Europe. Evazoum is confirmed to be the tetradactyl footprint of a fully bipedal trackmaker, which retains an anteriorly-directed pedal digit one. Weight load is highest on the outer digits, the pedes point inward to the trackway midline in walking phase. This configuration represents a specific adaptation of bipedal locomotion, limited to a group of Late Triassic to Early Jurassic archosaurs, which in accordance with previous studies we consider most likely to be basal sauropodomorphs (“prosauropods”). The identification of “prosauropod” tracks in the Carnian ichnofaunas of Germany closes an ichnological gap, as basal sauropodomorphs are well-represented in the Late Triassic (Norian) skeletal record from the same area. Associated ichnotaxa include Grallator, Brachychirotherium, Rhynchosauroides and Procolophonichnium.
Keywords
Evazoum • Late Triassic • bipedal tetradactyl footprints • “prosauropod” gaits