Trackway of Planipes brachydactylus

Permian Rarity: Planipes brachydactylus Trackway Plate – Lodeve

For sale is an exquisite collectors item from the world famous red sediments of the Lodeve Basin in France. This is an authentic trackway plate of the species Planipes brachydactylus.

Details and Scientific Classification:

• Trackway Sequence: The plate displays an impressive series of 6 to 7 distinct individual footprints. Such a continuous sequence uniquely documents the movement patterns of the animal.
• The Producer: These tracks are currently attributed to early Captorhinids, agile, lizard like reptiles that mark the transition to more modern reptile groups.
• Habitat: These animals inhabited the vast basin landscapes of Southern France, characterized by seasonal flooding and mudflats. The fine-grained sediment of Lodeve allowed for the remarkable preservation of these early land dwellers traces.
• Special Feature: The trackway shows signs of a possible tail drag mark. This runs centrally between the footprints and may document the animal's posture. Such combined trace elements are very rare.
• Dimensions: Individual tracks measure approximately 1 cm each. The stone is unbroken and measures approximately 13 x 8,5 x 1 cm.
• Locality: Lodeve (Herault Department), Southern France.
• Age: Permian (approx. 265 - 275 million years old).
• Provenance: This piece comes from an old privatee collection. As the Lodeve Basin is now a protected site with strict regulations on new finds and exports, such old collections offer one of the few legal opportunities to acquire a high quality specimen.

Condition and Preservation:
The plate is in its original found condition and remains unaltered (natural). It displays the authentic surface structure of the prehistoric mud from the Saxonian stage. A scientifically valuable specimen for sophisticated collectors of ichnofossils.

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