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.
Nanxiong Formation | |
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Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian | |
Type | Geological formation |
Underlies | Shanghu Formation |
Overlies | Jurassic granite basement, Changba Formation (Nanxiong Group) |
Thickness | ~300 m (980 ft) Several kilometers (Nanxiong Group) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Sandstone, siltstone, mudstone |
Other | Limestone, conglomerate |
Location | |
Coordinates | 23°30′N 114°54′E / 23.5°N 114.9°E |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 23°48′N 110°30′E / 23.8°N 110.5°E |
Region | Guangdong Province |
Country | China |
Extent | Nanxiong Basin |
Nanxiong Formation (China) Nanxiong Formation (Guangdong) |
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]
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Crocodilians | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Jiangxisuchus[5] | J. nankangensis | Nearly complete skull and mandible | A crocodyloid |
Lizards | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Chianghsia[6] | C. nankangensis | A partial skull and lower jaws | A monstersaurian lizard | |||
Tianyusaurus[7] | T. zhengi | A skull, mandible, first eight cervical vertebrae and nearly complete pectoral girdles | A polyglyphanodontian lizard, also known from the Qiupa Formation |
Turtles | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Jiangxichelys[8] | J. ganzhouensis | A complete shell | A nanhsiungchelyid turtle | |||
Nanhsiungchelys[9] | N. wuchingensis | A partial skeleton | A nanhsiungchelyid turtle[10] | |||
Oolithes[11][10] | O. elongatus, O. nanhsiungensis, O. rugustus and O. spheroides. | Egg and egg clutches. Some of these were probably laid by Nanhsiungchelys.[11][10] | Turtle and/or theropod eggs. |
Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|
Theropoda indet. |
Indeterminate | A maxillary tooth that differs from tyrannosaurid and carcharodontosaurid dentition.[12] | A notably large theropod. | |
Indeterminate | Isolated dorsal vertebra.[11] | A theropod. |
Hadrosaurs | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Microhadrosaurus[11] | M. nanshiungensis | Partial lower jaw from a juvenile that was about 2.6 m long | A nomen dubium hadrosaur taxon.[4] | |||
Hadrosauropodus isp.[4] | Indeterminate | Three-toed footprints[4] | A hadrosaur |
Oviraptorosaurs | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Banji[13] | B. long | Nearly complete skull and lower jaw | An oviraptorid | |||
Corythoraptor[14] | C. jacobsi | Nearly complete skeleton including the skull and lower jaw | An oviraptorid with a distinct cassowary-like crest | |||
Elongatoolithidae indet. | Indeterminate | Three eggs with embryonic remains.[15] | Oviraptorid eggs. | |||
Ganzhousaurus[16] | G. nankangensis | Lower jaw, leg bone, hip bone and caudal vertebrae | A transitional oviraptorid with both basal and derived traits | |||
Huanansaurus[17] | 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 | |||
Jiangxisaurus[18] | J. ganzhouensis | Incomplete skull, lower jaw, vertebrae, nearly complete pectoral girdle, the left forelimb, ribs, and a partially preserved pelvic girdle | An oviraptorid | |||
Macroolithus | Indeterminate | Five egg clutches containing over 60 eggs.[19] | Oviraptorid eggs | |||
Indeterminate | Three eggs with embryonic remains.[20] | Oviraptorid eggs | ||||
M. yaotunensis | Two eggs with embryonic remains.[21] | Oviraptorid eggs. Skeletal proportions resemble Heyuannia huangi | ||||
M. yaotunensis | A nest of 24 eggs associated with an adult oviraptorid.[22] | Oviraptorid eggs | ||||
Nankangia[23] | N. jiangxiensis | A partial lower jaw, vertebrae, both scapulocoracoids, a nearly complete right humerus, pubic bones, and some dorsal ribs | An oviraptorid | |||
Oviraptoridae indet. |
Indeterminate | A female individual preserving the pelvic girdle, some caudals and two eggs inside the abdominal cavity.[24] | A pregnant oviraptorid | |||
Indeterminate | A nesting adult over a nest of eggs, preserving cervical vertebrae, arms and the pelvic region.[22] | An oviraptorid that represents the fifth nesting taxon. | ||||
Indeterminate | A female individual preserving a partial pelvic girdle, hindlimbs and some caudals with two eggs associated near the pelvic region.[25] | A pregnant oviraptorid. | ||||
Shixinggia[26] | S. oblita | Sparse postcranial remains lacking the skull | An oviraptorid | |||
Tongtianlong[27] | 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 |
Sauropods | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Gannansaurus[28] | G. sinensis | A single, nearly complete dorsal vertebra and a mid-caudal vertebra | A sauropod closely related to Euhelopus | |||
Jiangxititan[29] | J. ganzhouensis | The three posteriormost cervical vertebrae with two cervical ribs, articulated with the first four dorsal vertebrae with three dorsal ribs | A derived lognkosaurian likely closely related to Mongolosaurus, but not the coeval Gannansaurus |
Therizinosaurids | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Nanshiungosaurus | N. brevispinus | Eleven cervical vertebrae, ten dorsal vertebrae, six sacral vertebrae and the pelvis.[11][30] | A therizinosaurid. |
Tyrannosaurids | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Qianzhousaurus[31] | 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[32] | |||
Tyrannosauridae indet. |
Indeterminate | Two isolated teeth.[11] | A tyrannosaurid. | |||
Indeterminate | Large and well-preserved tooth.[12] | A tyrannosaurid. |