Paleosols and Tetrapod Tracks from the Lower Cretaceous of the Northern Caucasus

Two Early Cretaceous (Aptian) paleosol (fossil soil, FPS) profiles in the Northern Caucasus in the close vicinity of the City of Kislovodsk, that contain plant roots preserved in situ, are discussed. Geochemical characteristics and composition of microbiomorphs are obtained for the most representative paleosol profile FPS-D1. The dinosaur tracks are examined in the Valanginian deposits in the same area. The tracks are assigned to several morphotypes, i.e., the ichnogenera Iguanodontipus Sarjeant et al., Megalosauripus sensu Lockley et al., and Macropodosaurus Zakharov. The author’s interpretation of paleogeographical and paleoecological environments of the dinosaur track localities and of paleosols is proposed.