Preliminary description of the first saurischian tracksite from the Lower Jurassic Kota Formation, Pranhita-Godavari Basin, Southern India

The Early Jurassic marks a critical development in archosaurian evolution, characterised by the establishment of dinosaurs in major ecological niches. We report a new large saurischian tracksite near an irrigation dam northeast of the Saligaon Village, Telangana, India. This tracksite marks the first occurrence of a sauropod dinosaur trackway in India and the first report of theropod dinosaurs from the Lower Jurassic Lower Kota Formation (Sinemurian-Pliensbachian; 199 Ma-192.9 Ma). Possible complex ethological behaviours, such as drag marks and trampling, are also reported from the formation. The bipedal dinosaur tracks have been assigned to <i>Eubrontes giganteus</i> and <i>Kayentapus hopii</i>, and the sauropod trackway to cf. <i>Breviparopus taghbaloutensis</i>. The palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical implications of the appearance of these tracks have been discussed.