Abstract

Numerous vertebrate footprints have been found in the dislocated sandstone slabs in the Mashhad city, northeast Iran. Neogene sediments of Chenaran township are supposed to be the provenance of the studied slabs. Identified footprints includes artiodactyl tracks as ichnotaxa Bifidipes velox, Lamaichnum guanicoe, Pecoripeda amalphaea, Pecoripeda isp., Carnivore tracks as Canipeda isp., and Felipeda isp., and bird tracks as Avidactyla isp., Avipeda gryponyx, Fuscinapeda texana. Among studied slabs, bird tracks are abundant. This is the first report of Cenozoic vertebrate tracks from the Kopeh Dagh geological zone. Discovery of Lamaichnum guanicoe shows Camelidae distribution in Iranian Plateau is as old as Neogene, and it is the first report of Camelidae sign from Iran. Presence of diverse footprints from Kopeh Dagh shows attenable biodiversity in the region of Iran.