Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Dinosaur Track Sites in Algeria: A Significant
National Geological Heritage in Danger
Les sites des empreintes de pas de dinosaures
en Algérie: un patrimoine national en danger
:
!
M.C. Chabou, M.Y. Laghouag, and A. Bendaoud
Abstract
Numerous dinosaur track sites are known in Algeria. Most of them are located in the Saharan
Atlas, in addition to one site in the Djurdjura Mountains with small footprints assigned to
Rotodactylus, one of the earliest members of the dinosaur lineage. Two sites have been known
for a long time: (i) the Amoura site, located in the Cenomanian layers at Djebel Bou Kahil,
eastern Saharan Atlas; It is one of the oldest known scienti
c references to dinosaur tracks in
the world and contains theropod footprints; and (ii) the Tiout site located at the Triassic-
Jurassic boundary layer near Ain Sefra, Ksour Mountains, western Saharan Atlas; this site also
contains theropod footprints. Recently, several sites have been discovered in Lower
Cretaceous strata in the El Bayadh area (western Saharan Atlas). These sites contain many
tracks which include both theropod and sauropod footprints, some of which are exceptionally
large and well preserved. Regrettably, this invaluable world geological heritage is now facing
dramatic decay if no serious actions are undertaken to protect and conserve it.
Résumé
La plupart des sites
à
é
é
empreintes de pas de dinosaures connus en Alg
rie sont situ
s dans
l
dans le Djurdjura avec de petites empreintes
attribu
é
es
à
Rotodactylus,l
'
un des premiers membres de la lign
é
e des dinosaures. Deux sites
sont connus depuis longtemps: (i) le site d
'
Atlas saharien, mis
à
part un site localis
é
'
Amoura, situ
é
dans les couches du C
é
nomanien du
Djebel Bou Kahil (Atlas saharien oriental); c
'
est l
'
un des premiers sites
à
empreintes de
dinosaures au monde
àê
tre cit
é
dans une publication scienti
que et contient des empreintes de
th
é
ropodes; (ii) le site de Tiout, pr
è
sd
'
A
ï
n Sefra, dans les monts des Ksour (Atlas saharien
occidental), est localis
é
dans une couche d
'â
ge Trias-Jurassique; contenant
é
galement des
empreintes de th
é
ropodes. R
é
cemment, plusieurs sites ont
é
t
é
d
é
couverts dans la r
é
gion d
'
El
é
é
é
é
Bayadh (Atlas saharien occidental) et sont situ
s dans des couches du Cr
tac
inf
rieur. Ces
traces comprennent
ropodes et de sauropodes ainsi que de
nombreuses pistes. Certaines traces sont exceptionnellement grandes et bien pr
à
la fois des empreintes de pas de th
é
é
é
serv
es.
