Nanxiong Formation
The Nanxiong Formation (also known as Yuanpu Formation) is a Late Cretaceous geologic formation in Guangdong Province. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. It consists of continental siliciclastic red beds, with fauna which similar to that of the Nemegt Formation. It has been dated about 66.7 ± 0.3 million years ago.[1] It is the lowest unit of the Nanxiong Basin, a small graben created during Mesozoic rifting.[2] Buck et al state that it overlies Jurassic granite basement, and is conformably overlain by the Shanghu Formation.[1] Alternative stratigraphic schemes for the Nanxiong basin have been proposed,[3] one of which refers to the Nanxiong succession as the Nanxiong Group, and dividing it into the Yuanfu, Zhutian and Zhenshui formations, and overlying the Albian to Turonian Changba Formation.[4]
Nanxiong Formation Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian, 66.7 Ma | |
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Type | Geological formation |
Underlies | Shanghu Formation |
Overlies |
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Thickness | ~300 m (Buck et al 2004) Several kilometers (Nanxiong Group, Xing et al 2017) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Sandstone, siltstone, mudstone |
Other | Limestone, conglomerate |
Location | |
Coordinates | 23.5°N 114.9°E |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 23.8°N 110.5°E |
Region | Guangdong Province |
Country | |
Extent | Nanxiong Basin |
Nanxiong Formation (China) Nanxiong Formation (Guangdong) |
Paleofauna
Dinosaurs
Theropods
Theropods | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Banji[5] |
B. long |
Nearly complete skull and lower jaw. |
An oviraptorid. |
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Corythoraptor[6] |
C. jacobsi |
Nearly complete skeleton including the skull and lower jaw. |
An oviraptorid with a distinct cassowary-like crest. |
| ||
Ganzhousaurus[7] |
G. nankangensis |
Lower jaw, leg bone, hip bone and caudal vertebrae. |
A transitional oviraptorid with both basal and derived traits. |
| ||
Huanansaurus[8] |
H. ganzhouensis |
Nearly complete skull, lower jaws, neck vertebrae, a humerus, arm fragments, lower part of the right thighbone, the upper part of the right shinbone, and parts of the right foot. |
An oviraptorid. |
| ||
Indeterminate oviraptorid[9] |
Indeterminate |
A female individual preserving the pelvic girdle, some caudals and two eggs inside the abdominal cavity.[9] |
An oviraptorid. |
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J. ganzhouensis |
Incomplete skull, lower jaw, vertebrae, nearly complete pectoral girdle, the left forelimb, ribs, and a partially preserved pelvic girdle. |
An oviraptorid. |
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Macroolithus sp.[11] |
Indeterminate |
Five egg clutches containing over 60 eggs.[11] |
Oviraptorid eggs. |
| ||
N. jiangxiensis |
A partial lower jaw, vertebrae, both scapulocoracoids, a nearly complete right humerus, pubic bones, and some dorsal ribs. |
An oviraptorid. |
| |||
Nanshiungosaurus[13] |
N. brevispinus |
Eleven cervical vertebrae, ten dorsal vertebrae, six sacral vertebrae and the pelvis. |
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Qianzhousaurus[15] |
Q. sinensis |
A skull, lower jaw, vertebrae, both scapulocoracoids, a left femur and a left tibia. |
A tyrannosaurid, could represent a third species of Alioramus.[16] |
| ||
S. oblita |
Sparce postcranial remains lacking the skull. |
An oviraptorid. |
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Indeterminate |
A maxillary tooth that differs from tyrannosaurid and carcharodontosaurid dentition. |
A notably large theropod. |
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T. limosus |
Almost complete skeleton, portions of the arms, right leg, and tail were destroyed by TNT blasts. |
An oviraptorid, the pose indicates that it may have died trying to free itself from mud. |
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Tyrannosauridae indet.[13][18] |
Indeterminate |
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Ornithopods
Ornithopods | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
M. nanshiungensis |
Partial lower jaw from a juvenile that was about 2.6 m long |
A nomen dubium hadrosaur taxon.[4] |
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Hadrosauropodus isp.[4] |
Indeterminate |
Three-toed footprints.[4] |
A hadrosaur. |
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Sauropods
Sauropods | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Gannansaurus[20] |
G. sinensis |
A single, nearly complete dorsal vertebra and a mid-caudal vertebra. |
A sauropod closely related to Euhelopus. |
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Other reptiles
Turtles
Turtles | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Jiangxichelys[21] |
J. ganzhouensis |
A complete shell. |
A nanhsiungchelyid turtle |
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Nanhsiungchelys[22] |
N. wuchingensis |
A partial skeleton. |
A nanhsiungchelyid turtle.[23] |
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O. elongatus, O. nanhsiungensis, O. rugustus and O. spheroides. |
Egg and egg clutches. Some of these were probably laid by Nanhsiungchelys.[13][23] |
Turtle and/or theropod eggs. |
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Crocodilians
Crocodilians | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Jiangxisuchus[24] |
J. nankangensis |
Nearly complete skull and mandible. |
Lizards
Lizards | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Chianghsia[25] |
C. nankangensis |
A partial skull and lower jaws. |
A monstersaurian lizard |
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Tianyusaurus[26] |
T. zhengi |
A skull, mandible, first eight cervical vertebrae and nearly complete pectoral girdles. |
A polyglyphanodontian lizard, also known from the Qiupa Formation |
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Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
See also
- List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
- Dalangshan Formation
References
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- Lucas, Spencer G.; Kirkland, James I.; Estep, John W. (1998). "Vertebrate biostratigraphy and biochronology of the Cretaceous of China". Lower and Middle Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems: Bulletin 14. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. p. 14.
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- Xing, L.; Lockley, M. G.; Li, D.; Klein, H.; Ye, Y.; Scott Persons IV, W.; Ran, H. (2017). "Late Cretaceous ornithopod-dominated, theropod, and pterosaur track assemblages from the Nanxiong Basin, China: New discoveries, ichnotaxonomy, and paleoecology" (PDF). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 466: 303−313. Bibcode:2017PPP...466..303X. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.11.035.
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