A review of the fossil records of dinosaurs of the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous from present-day Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16895340Keywords:
Dinosaurs, Fossil records, Pakistan, Prehistory, ReviewAbstract
Recent geological and paleontological studies in Pakistan have discovered fossils of various prehistoric biota, including dinosaurs. Pakistan is rich in paleontological evidence from the Mesozoic era, especially traces and tracks from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. These prehistoric fossils are important for paleo-biogeographic studies because these Mesozoic faunae show significant paleo-biogeographic connections with Gondwana, as most dinosaurs such as titanosaur sauropods, carnivorous abelisaurids, and theropods are closely associated with Gondwana (Southern hemisphere), in contrast to the Cenozoic shows close relationships with the Eurasian biota. About 400 fossil bones have been found in the upper shale layer of the true Maastrichtian Vitakri Formation, which is the base of the titanosaur group. Pakistan is a unique country, where 15 species of titanosaurs were discovered in a small area at the Sangyali site of Vitakri Dome (Barkhan district of Baluchistan). The first fossil of a dinosaur was reported in 2000, while the last dinosaur (Imrankhanshaheen) was reported in August 2024 from Pakistan. This investigation corresponds to the fossils of about 3000 Saurischian dinosaurs and some footprints and trackways of these Mesozoic dinosaurs. So far, 45 taxa are known; most were discovered, collected, scientifically documented, and published by Muhammad Sadiq Malkani, the former director of the Geological Survey of Pakistan.
References
Böhme, M. (2003). The Miocene climatic optimum: Evidence from ectothermic vertebrates of Central Europe. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 195, 389–401. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-0182(03)00367-5
Brett-Surman, M. K., Holtz, T. R., & Farlow, J. O. (2012). The complete dinosaur (p. 25). Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-00849-7
Carrano, M. T., Sampson, S. D., & Forster, C. A. (2002). The osteology of Masiakasaurus knopfleri, a small abelisauroid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 22(3), 510–534.
Holtz, T. R. (2012). Dinosaurs: The most complete, up-to-date encyclopedia for dinosaur lovers of all ages [PDF].
Hussam, Z., Pol, D., Carvalho, A. B., Nascimento, P. M., Riccomini, C., Larson, P., Juarez-Valieri, R., Pires-Domingues, R., da Silva, N. J., de Almeida Campos, D., & Sereno, P. (Ed.). (2011). A complete skull of an Early Cretaceous sauropod and the evolution of advanced titanosaurians. PLOS ONE, 6(2), e16663. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016663
Jain, S. L., & Bandyopadhyay, S. (1997). New titanosaurid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Central India. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 17(1), 114.
Karanth, K. P. (2021). Dispersal vs. vicariance: The origin of India's extant tetrapod fauna. Frontiers of Biogeography, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.21425/F5FBG48678
Karl, H.-V., Safi, A., & Staesche, U. (2021). New findings of Neogene tortoises Titanochelon kayadibiensis sp. nov. and Protestudo bessarabica (Riabinin, 1918) (Testudinidae) from the Miocene of western Turkey, with a review of fossil turtles of Turkey. SPC Journal of Environmental Sciences, 3(1), 1–9.
Karl, H.-V., Safi, A., & Tichy, G. (2024). Review of fossil records of prehistoric reptiles, their distribution, and paleo-biogeographic evolution in Pakistan. Scientific Reports in Life Sciences, 5(3), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13771832
Klaus, S., Morley, R., Plath, M., et al. (2016). Biotic interchange between the Indian subcontinent and mainland Asia through time. Nature Communications, 7, 12132. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12132
Lockley, M. (1991). Tracking dinosaurs: A new look at an ancient world (238 pp.). Cambridge University Press. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248685949 (Accessed August 28, 2024).
Malkani, M. S. (2003). First Jurassic dinosaur fossils found from Kirthar Range, Khuzdar District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Geological Bulletin, University of Peshawar, 36, 73–83.
Malkani, M. S. (2004). Stratigraphy and economic potential of Sulaiman, Kirthar and Makran-Siahan ranges, Pakistan. Fifth Pakistan Geological Congress, Islamabad, Abstract Volume, 14–15 April 2004.
Malkani, M. S. (2006). Biodiversity of saurischian dinosaurs from the latest Cretaceous Park of Pakistan. Journal of Applied and Emerging Sciences, 1(3), 108–140.
Malkani, M. S. (2007). Trackways evidence of sauropod dinosaurs confronted by a theropod in the Middle Jurassic Samana Suk Limestone of Pakistan. Sindh University Research Journal: Science Series, 39(1), 1–14.
Malkani, M. S. (2008). Marisaurus (Balochisauridae, Titanosauria) remains from the latest Cretaceous of Pakistan. Sindh University Research Journal: Science Series, 40(2), 55–78.
Malkani, M. S. (2009). New Balochisaurus (Balochisauridae, Titanosauria, Sauropoda) and Vitakridrinda (Theropoda) remains from Pakistan. Sindh University Research Journal: Science Series, 41(2), 65–92.
Malkani, M. S. (2010a). New Pakisaurus (Pakisauridae, Titanosauria, Sauropoda) remains and Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary from Pakistan. Sindh University Research Journal: Science Series, 42(1), 39–64.
Malkani, M. S. (2010b). Osteoderms of Pakisauridae and Balochisauridae (Titanosauria, Sauropoda, Dinosauria) in Pakistan. Journal of Earth Science, 21(Special Issue 3), 198–203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-010-0212-z
Malkani, M. S. (2013). New pterosaur from the latest Cretaceous terrestrial strata of Pakistan. In Abstract Book of the 9th International Symposium on the Cretaceous System, Ankara, Turkey, 62.
Malkani, M. S. (2014a). Titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs from the latest Cretaceous of Pakistan. In Abstract Volume of the 2nd Symposium of International Geoscience Program 608, Tokyo, Japan, 108–111.
Malkani, M. S. (2014b). Theropod dinosaurs and mesoeucrocodiles from the Terminal Cretaceous of Pakistan. In Abstract Volume of the 2nd Symposium of International Geoscience Program 608, Tokyo, Japan, 169–172.
Malkani, M. S. (2015a). Titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs from Pakistan. In Y. Zhang (Ed.), Abstract volume of the 12th Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems and IGCP 608, Shenyang, China, 93–98.
Malkani, M. S. (2015b). Terrestrial mesoeucrocodiles from the Cretaceous of Pakistan. In Y. Zhang (Ed.), Abstract volume of the 12th Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems and IGCP 608, Shenyang, China, 242–246.
Malkani, M. S. (2015c). Dinosaurs, mesoeucrocodiles, pterosaurs, new fauna, and flora from Pakistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan, Information Release 823, 1–32.
Malkani, M. S., & Ge, S. (2016). Fossil biotas from Pakistan with a focus on dinosaur distributions and discussion on the paleobiogeographic evolution of the Indo-Pak Peninsula. Global Geology, 19(4), 230–240.
Malkani, M. S. (2017). Titanosaurian sauropod and abelisaurian theropod dinosaurs and mesoeucrocodiles from Pakistan: A review. In Abstract Volume of the 5th Symposium of IGCP 632, Flagstaff, Arizona, 12.
Malkani, M. S., Somro, N., & Arif, S. J. (2018). A new pes footprint of sauropod dinosaur discovered from the latest Cretaceous of Pakistan. ResearchGate, 1 p.
Malkani, M. S. (2019). Recently discovered beasts, baluchithere, rhinoceros, horses, sea cow, proboscidean, eucrocodile, pterosaurs, plesiosaur, fishes, invertebrates, and wood fossils, tracks and trackways of dinosaurs from Pakistan; Comparison of the recognized four titanosaur taxa of Indo-Pakistan with Madagascar. Open Journal of Geology, 9, 919–955. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojg.2019.912098
Malkani, M. S. (2021a). Formal description of Mesozoic and Cenozoic biotas found in Pakistan. Open Journal of Geology, 11, 411–455.
Malkani, M. S. (2021b). Jurassic–Cretaceous and Cretaceous–Paleogene transitions and Mesozoic vertebrates from Pakistan. Open Journal of Geology, 11, 275–318.
Malkani, M. S. (2022). Plate boundary and structural geology of Balochistan and Indus basins through field observations on Chaman transform fault and western Indus suture (Pakistan): Dinosaurs from Pakistan with attributed bones and key features; Titanosaurs from India with updated assessment on Jainosaurus. Open Journal of Geology, 12, 1032–1079. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojg.2022.1211049
Malkani, M. S. (2023a). Geology and mineral deposits of Saraikistan (South Punjab, Koh Sulaiman Range) of Pakistan: A tabular review of recently discovered biotas from Pakistan and paleobiogeographic link: Phylogeny and hypodigm of poripuchian titanosaurs from Indo-Pakistan. Open Journal of Geology, 13, 900–958. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojg.2023.138040
Malkani, M. S. (2023b). A glance at the mineral deposits and stratigraphic sequential variations and structures in different Indus basins (Pakistan): New titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs from the latest Maastrichtian Vitakri Formation of Pakistan. Open Journal of Geology, 13, 1069–1138. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojg.2023.1310046
Malkani, M. S. (2024a). New data on coal, gypsum, iron, and silica sand deposits and geochemical exploration (Pakistan): Revision of 25 years’ history of dinosaur discoveries from Pakistan. Open Journal of Geology, 14, 431–511. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojg.2024.143020
Malkani, M. S. (2024b). First ornithischian dinosaurs from Pakistan: Some evidence. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/First_ornithischian_dinosaurs_from_Pakistan (Accessed August 13, 2024).
Mannion, P. D., Upchurch, P., Barnes, R. N., & Mateus, O. (2013). Osteology of the Late Jurassic Portuguese sauropod dinosaur Lusotitan atalaiensis (Macronaria) and the evolutionary history of basal titanosauriforms. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 168, 98–206.
Baron, M. G., & Williams, M. E. (2018). A re-evaluation of the enigmatic dinosauriform Caseosaurus crosbyensis from the Late Triassic of Texas, USA and its implications for early dinosaur evolution. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 63. https://doi.org/10.4202/app.00372.2017
Rögl, F. (1999). Mediterranean and Paratethys: Facts and hypotheses of an Oligocene to Miocene paleogeography (short overview). Geologica Carpathica, 50, 330–349.
Sampson, S. D., Carrano, M. T., & Forster, C. A. (2001). A bizarre predatory dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Nature, 409(6819), 504–506.
Wilson, J. A., Malkani, M. S., & Gingerich, P. D. (2005). A sauropod braincase from the Pab Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) of Baluchistan, Pakistan. Gondwana Geological Magazine, Special Volume 8, 101–109.
Wilson, J. A., Barrett, P. M., & Carrano, M. T. (2011). An associated partial skeleton of Jainosaurus cf. septentrionalis (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Chhota Simla, Central India. Palaeontology, 54(5), 981–998.
________________________________________
Online sources
Fandom. (n.d.). Dinosaurs of Pakistan. In Fossil Wiki. Retrieved August 28, 2024, from https://fossil.fandom.com/wiki/Dinosaurs_of_Pakistan
Pakiscience. (2023). Rare dinosaur fossils in Pakistan. Pakiscience. https://pakiscience.pk/archives/2946
Dawn. (2011, April 2). Rare dinosaur footprints in Pakistan. Dawn News. https://www.dawn.com/news/617762/rare-dinosaur-footprints-in-pakistan
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Scientific Reports in Life Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
