Jiufotang Formation
Jiufotang Formation Stratigraphic range: Aptian | |
---|---|
Type | Geological formation |
Unit of | Jehol Group |
Sub-units | Shangheshou Bed, Meileyingzi Bed |
Underlies | Fuxin Formation |
Overlies | Yixian Formation |
Location | |
Region | Liaoning |
Country | China |
The Jiufotang Formation is an Early Cretaceous geological formation in Chaoyang, Liaoning which has yielded fossils of feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, pterosaurs, and other organisms. (see Jehol Biota). It is a member of the Jehol group. The exact age of the Jiufotang has been debated for years, with estimates ranging from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. He et al. (2004) used argon - isotope radiometry to confirm biostratigraphic age estimates. They confirmed an Early Cretaceous, Aptian age for the Jiufotang Formation, 120.3 +/-0.7 million years ago. Fossils of Microraptor and Jeholornis are from the Jiufotang.[1]
Fauna
Choristoderans
Genus | Species | County | Member | Abundance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philydrosaurus proseilus |
Monjurosuchid | ||||
Ikechosaurus pijiagouensis |
Simoedosaurid | ||||
Liaoxisaurus chaoyangensis |
Simoedosaurid | ||||
Fish
Genus | Species | County | Member | Abundance | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jinanichthys longicephalus |
An osteoglossiform. |
| ||||
Lycoptera davidi |
An osteoglossiform. | |||||
Peipiaosteus pani |
A fish related to Sturgeons. | |||||
Protosephurus |
Protosephurus liui |
A Paddlefish. | ||||
Sinamia zdanskyi |
A Bowfin. | |||||
Mammals
Several mammal specimens have been found from the Jiufotang, but only one has been formally described and named.
Genus | Species | County | Member | Abundance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liaoconodon hui[2] |
Nearly complete skeleton |
A eutriconodont | |||
Unnamed mammal |
Unnamed |
Partial remains including a foot and fragments of the skull |
A mammal similar to Eomaia and Sinodelphys from the Yixian Formation. Found as stomach contents of Microraptor zhaoianus. | ||
Ornithischians
Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Psittacosaurus meileyingensis |
Meileyingzi Bed |
"[Four] individuals, [two] complete skulls."[3] |
A ceratopsian. |
| ||
Psittacosaurus mongoliensis |
Shangheshou and Meileyingzi Beds |
Pterosaurs
Genus | Species | County | Member | Abundance | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chaoyangopterus zhangi |
A chaoyangopterid.[4] |
| ||||
Eoazhdarcho liaoxiensis |
A chaoyangopterid.[4] | |||||
Guidraco |
Guidraco venator |
An ornithocheiroid.[5] | ||||
Huaxiapterus benxiensis |
||||||
Huaxiapterus corollatus |
||||||
Huaxiapterus jii |
||||||
Jidapterus edentus |
A chaoyangopterid.[4] | |||||
Liaoningopterus gui |
||||||
Liaoxipterus brachyognathus |
An istiodactylid.[4] | |||||
Nemicolopterus crypticus |
||||||
Nurhachius ignaciobritoi |
An istiodactylid.[4] | |||||
Shenzhoupterus chaoyangensis |
A chaoyangopterid. | |||||
Sinopterus dongi |
A tapejarid.[4] | |||||
Sinopterus gui |
||||||
Saurischians
An unnamed species of titanosaur is also present in the formation.[6]
Enantiornithines
Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alethoalaornis |
Alethoalaornis agitornis[7] |
An enantiornithine |
||||
Boluochia zhengi |
"Partial skull [and] partial postcranium."[8] |
A longipterygid | ||||
Cathayornis aberransis |
An entantiornithine | |||||
Cathayornis caudatus |
Nomen dubium[9] | |||||
Cathayornis yandica |
"Partial skeleton."[8] |
An enantiornithine | ||||
Cuspirostrisornis houi |
A possible avisaurid | |||||
Dapingfangornis sentisorhinus |
An enantiornithine | |||||
Eocathayornis walkeri |
"Partial skeleton."[8] |
An enantirontihine | ||||
Gracilornis jiufotangensis |
An enantirontihine | |||||
Huoshanornis huji |
An enantirontihine | |||||
Largirostrornis |
Largirostrornis sexdentoris |
An enantirontihine | ||||
Longchengornis sanyanensis |
An enantirontihine | |||||
Longipteryx chaoyangensis |
A longipterygid | |||||
Rapaxavis pani |
A longipterygid | |||||
Sinornis santensis |
"Partial skull [and] many nearly complete postcranial skeletons."[10] |
An enantiornithine | ||||
Xiangornis shenmi |
An enantiornithine | |||||
Euornithines
Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aberratiodontus |
Aberratiodontus wui |
Junior synonym of Yanornis martini[11] |
| |||
Chaoyangia beishanensis |
"Partial skeleton."[10] |
An ornithuran | ||||
Jianchangornis microdonta |
An ornithuran | |||||
Parahongshanornis chaoyangensis |
||||||
Schizooura lii |
An ornithuran with long, forked tail feathers | |||||
Songlingornis linghensis |
An ornithuran. | |||||
Yanornis martini |
An ornithuran. | |||||
Yixianornis grabaui |
An ornithuran. | |||||
Misc theropods
Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Confuciusornis sanctus |
A primitive short-tailed bird (pygostylian). Also present in the Yixian Formation |
| ||||
Confuciusornis jianchangensis |
||||||
Cryptovolans |
Cryptovolans pauli |
Junior synonym of Microraptor gui[13] | ||||
Dalianraptor cuhe |
A basal avialan | |||||
Didactylornis |
Didactylornis jii |
Junior synonym of Sapeornis chaoyangensis[14] | ||||
Jeholornis prima[1] |
A basal avialan, also present in the Yixian Formation[14] | |||||
Jeholornis palmapenis[15] |
A basal avialan | |||||
Microraptor gui |
Shangheshou Bed |
Extremely common[6] |
Could be synonym of Microraptor zhaoianus | |||
Microraptor zhaoianus |
Shangheshou Bed[6] |
"At least [three] partial semiarticulated postcrania and several skulls."[16] Feathered integument is also preserved.[16] |
A dromaeosaurid. | |||
Omnivoropteryx sinousaorum |
An omnivoropterygiform | |||||
Sapeornis angustis |
"Nearly complete skeleton without skull."[17] |
An omnivoropterygiform, a primitive short-tailed bird | ||||
Sapeornis chaoyangensis |
||||||
Shenshiornis |
Shenshiornis primita[18] |
An omnivoropterygiform | ||||
Similicaudipteryx yixianensis |
An oviraptorosaur | |||||
Sinotyrannus kazuoensis[19] |
||||||
Shenzhouraptor |
Shenzhouraptor orientalis |
Junior synonym of Jeholornis prima[14] | ||||
Zhongjianornis yangi |
A primitive short-tailed bird[20] | |||||
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 He, H.Y., Wang, X.L., Zhou, Z.H., Wang, F., Boven, A., Shi, G.H., Zhu R.X. (2004). "Timing of the Jiufotang Formation (Jehol Group) in Liaoning, northeastern China, and its implications". Geophysical Research Letters 31(13): 1709.
- ↑ Meng, J., Wang, Y., and Li, C. (2011). "Transitional mammalian middle ear from a new Cretaceous Jehol eutriconodont". Nature, 472: 181-185. doi:10.1038/nature09921 PMID 21490668
- ↑ "Table 22.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 479.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Wang, X. and Zhou, Z. (2006). "Pterosaur assemblages of the Jehol Biota and their implication for the Early Cretaceous pterosaur radiation ."Geological Journal, 41: 405-418.
- ↑ Xiaolin Wang, Alexander W. A. Kellner, Shunxing Jiang and Xin Cheng (2012). "New toothed flying reptile from Asia: close similarities between early Cretaceous pterosaur faunas from China and Brazil". Naturwissenschaften 99. doi:10.1007/s00114-012-0889-1.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Xu, X. and Norell, M.A. (2006). "Non-Avian dinosaur fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group of western Liaoning, China."Geological Journal, 41: 419-437.
- ↑ Li, L., Hu, D.-Y., Duan, Y., Gong, E.-P. and Hou, L.-H. (2007). "Alethoalaornithidae fam. nov., a new family of enantiornithine bird from the Lower Cretaceous of western Liaoning." Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 46(3): 365-372. (http://www.cqvip.com/qk/90074X/200703/25642898.html) [in Chinese]
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 212.
- ↑ O'Connor, J. and Dyke, G. (2010). "A reassessment of Sinornis santensis and Cathayornis yandica (Aves: Enantiornithes)." Records of the Australian Museum, 62: 7-20. doi:10.3853/J.0067-1975.62.2010.1540
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 214.
- ↑ Cau, A. and Arduini, P. (2008). "Enantiophoenix electrophyla gen. et sp. nov. (Aves, Enantiornithes) from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Lebanon and its phylogenetic relationships." Atti della Societa Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Milano, 149: 293-324.
- ↑ Li, Li; Jing-Qi Wang and Shi-Lin Hou (2011). "A new ornithurine bird (Hongshanornithidae) from the Jiufotang Formation of Chaoyang, Liaoning, China". Vertebrata PalAsiatica 49 (2): 195–200.
- ↑ Senter, P., Barsold, R., Britt, B.B., and Burnham, D.A. (2004). "Systematics and evolution of Dromaeosauridae (Dinosauria, Theropoda)." Bulletin of the Gunma Museum of Natural History, 8: 1-20.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Li, D., Sulliven, C., Zhou, Z. and Zhang, Z. (2010). "Basal birds from China: a brief review." Chinese Birds, 1(2): 83-96 doi:10.5122/cbirds.2010.0002
- ↑ O'Connor, J.K., Sun C., Xu X., Wang X. and Zhou Z. (In press). "A new species of Jeholornis with complete caudal integument." Historical Biology, (advance online publication). doi:10.1080/08912963.2011.552720
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Table 10.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 198.
- ↑ "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 216.
- ↑ Hu, D., Li, L., Hou, L., and Xu, X. (2010). "A new sapeornithid bird from China and its implication for early avian evolution." Acta Geologica Sinica, (English Edition) 84(3): 472-482. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00188.x
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Ji, Q., Ji, S.-A., and Zhang, L.-J. 2009. First large tyrannosauroid theropod from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota in northeastern China. Geological Bulletin of China 28(10):1369-1374.
- ↑ Zhou, Z., Zhang, F. and Li, Z. (2010). "A new Lower Cretaceous bird from China and tooth reduction in early avian evolution." Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 277(1679): 219-227.doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0885
Wang Y, Evans SE. 2011. A gravid lizard from the Cretaceous of China and the early history of squamate viviparity. Naturwissenschaften doi:10.1007/s00114-011-0820-1