Gigantic sauropod footprints have been found in French Jura (Ain Department), measuring between 1.5
to 2 meters in diameter ! These footprints were studied by Pierre Hantzpergue and Jean-Michel Mazin
(Université Lyon I - CNRS), who is better known for his work on the "Plage of
ptérosaures" (Pterosaur Beach) of Crayssac, Southern France.
The successive discoveries of dinosaur footprints sites in French and Swiss
jura during the 2000's confirm the presence of wide emersed areas in the region
during the Late Jurassic (Tithonian here), contrary to what was widely accepted
recently. Reminds me of the Massif Central which was supposedly emersed during
the Cretaceous, and was used to support dinosaur dispersion in the Western
Europe Archipelago... but is now known to have been covered by a pretty thick
chalk beds, now eroded/dissolved.
Some details here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/oct/06/biggest-ever-dinosaur-footprints
And even more details there, but for French speakers (fortunately, there are
pictures and a video too):
http://www.leprogres.fr/fr/region/l-ain/ain/article/2053569,179/Des-traces-de-dinosaures-decouvertes-dans-l-Ain-%28video%29.html
And there (also in French):
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hOjELeBrsHgZtNR86okF08pbXdxA
The official press release will be given in october 8 by the CNRS.
PS: If you do understand French, just try Google Translation. The results are
still not perfect, but they could be worse (as long as you understand the
meaning...).
--
Jocelyn FALCONNET
PhD Student - Early radiation of amniotes,
CR2P - UMR 7207 CNRS
Département Histoire de la Terre
Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle