Yacimiento: Villanueva de Huerva (El Paso), Zaragoza

The ichnite site of El Paso is located in the outcrop situated to the south of Villanueva de Huerva, in the course of the gully formed by the River Huerva, and slightly to the north of the Aguilón anticline. The UTM coordinates of the site are 30TXL639782, and it is found on page nº 411 (Longares) of the National Topographical Map on a scale of 1:50.000 (see topographical map). Geologically, it is situated in limestone strata from the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian-Hauterivian). The tracks at Villanueva de Huerva (two isolated tridactyl theropod tracks) are found within an essentially calcareous sequence (200 metres) generally composed of alternating limestones and marls, superimposed upon about 100 metres of lutites and sandstones from the same unit and belonging to the stratotype “Areniscas y Calizas de Villanueva de Huerva” Formation (Soria, 1997). Grupo Aragosaurus today carried out the first study of the only dinosaur ichnite site in the province of Zaragoza. The site goes by the name of El Paso and is located in the municipality of Villanueva de Huerva. The research will be presented at the coming International Symposium on Dinosaur and Other Vertebrate Palaeoichnology, due to be held in Fumanya (Barcelona) and Espéraza, France (3-9 October, 2005). The paper written by José Ignacio Canudo, José Luis Barco, José Ignacio Ruiz-Omeñaca and Gloria Cuenca-Bescós describes three ichnites with different morphologies, making it possible to distinguish two different dinosaurs. The tracks were produced by medium-sized to large carnivores (theropods) moving along the bank of a lake that at the time covered this part of the province. The ichnites are perfectly conserved, displaying most of the anatomical characters of the foot that produced them.