Aral Formation

Aral Formation
Stratigraphic range: Oligocene – Miocene
Type	Formation
Location
Coordinates	50.3° N, 57.2° E W [1]
Region	Aktyubinsk
Country	Kazakhstan

The Aral Formation is a geologic formation in Kazakhstan. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period. ^[1] Much of its fossils consist of Glires and fish, though cetaceans and cryptobranchid salamanders are also known.

Paleobiota

The Aral Formation has yielded a rich variety of extinct mammals. Many of its mammal fauna consists of the clade Glires with rodents being particularly numerous. ^[1]

Bivalves

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Corbula [1]	C. helmerseni	A bivalve

Chondrichthyes

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Odontaspis [1]	Species indeterminate	A sand tiger shark.

Osteichthyes

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Acipenser [1]	Species indeterminate	A sturgeon.
Cyprinidae indet. [1]	Genus and species indeterminate	A carp.
Esox [1]	E. aralensis	A pike.
Percidae indet. [1]	Gensu and species indeterminate	A perch.

Urodela

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Cryptobranchidae indet. [1]	Genus and species indeterminate.	A giant salamander.

Mammals

Rodents

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Aralocricetodon [1]	A. schokensis	A cricetid.
Asianeomys [1]	A. bolligeri.	An eomyid.
Eumyarion [1] [2]	E. tremulus	A mouse.
Eucricetodon [1] [2]	E. occasionalis	A mouse.
Plesiosminthus [1]	P. tereskentensis	A jumping mouse.
Propalaeocastor [1]	P. kumbulakensis	A castorid.

Lagomorpha

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Desmatolagus	D. gobiensis, D. simplex, D. periaralicus.	A rabbit.

Eulipotyphla

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Amphechinus	A. minimus	A hedgehog.
Desmaninae indet.	Indeterminate genus and species.	A desman.
Gobisorex	G. kingae.	A shrew.
Talpidae indet.	Indeterminate genus and species.	A mole.

Cetacea

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Delphinidae indet.	Indeterminate genus and species.	A dolphin.

References

1. Fossilworks: Altynshokysu (bone bed I). Fossilworks.org. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
2. A. V. Lopatin. 1996. "The Stratigraphy and Small Mammals from the Aral Formation, the Altynshokysu Locality, Northern Aral Area." Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation. 4 (2): 65-79.