Palaeoichnology and Palaeontology of Dinosaurs in North of Kerman, South East Central Iran

Besides some limited information available in the literature, the record of Mesozoic vertebrates, specially dinosaur faunas, in the Middle East are scarce.Among the countries of this region, Iran has the greatest potential for new findings, since extensive areas with Mesozoic continental deposits, particularly around Kerman and east of Central Iran are reported. An Iranian-Brazilian expedition, with the support of the Geological Survey of Iran, was scheduled in September 2002 in northern parts of Kerman area in order to investigate the potential for finding Mesozoic terrestrial fossils. In this survey the lower Jurassic dinosaur footprints of the Neyzar Valley was restudied. Reinterpretation of these footprints which are found in two different horizons indicates that they were made rather by theropod than ornithopod dinosaurs. Prospecting in the Late Jurassic / Early Cretaceous red beds of the Ab Bid syncline, western flank of Kuh – e – Takhtgah, north of Kerman, yielded the first dinosaur skeletal remains, including a complete theropod dinosaur tooth crown and some bone fragments.