Huajiying Formation

Last updated
Huajiying Formation
Stratigraphic range: Valanginian-Aptian
Type Geological formation
Unit of Jehol Group
Sub-unitsGuohedao Member,
Nianzigou Member,
Qiaotou Member,
Sichakou Member
Underlies Quingshila Formation
Overlies Dabeigou Formation
Location
Region Hebei
CountryFlag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China

The Huajiying Formation is a geological formation in Hebei, People's Republic of China. Known for its fossils including feathered dinosaurs, the age of the formation is uncertain. It may represent an early portion of the Jehol Biota, dating to somewhere in the early Cretaceous or late Jurassic periods. It may correlate with the early Cretaceous Dadianzi Formation and parts of the Yixian Formation, with an age range between 140 and 122 Ma ago. [1] It contains the Qiaotou Member, sometimes treated as a distinct formation.

Contents

Age and stratigraphy

The Huajiying Formation contains the following members, in order from youngest to oldest:

The age of the formation is uncertain. Ji and colleagues suggested in 2008 that the Qiaotou Member correlates with the Dawangzhangzi bed of the Yixian Formation, dated to ~122 Ma ago by Zhou in 2006. [2] Ji et al. also suggested that the lower Sichakou Member correlates with the Dadianzi Formation, dated to 140 Ma ago by Tian and colleagues in 2003. [3]

Paleobiota

The faunal lists below are based on a survey of the Huajiying Formation by Jin Fan and colleagues in 2008, unless otherwise noted. [4]

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxonTaxon falsely reported as presentDubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Theropods

GenusSpeciesCountyMemberAbundanceNotesImages
Archaeornithura A. meemannae Fengning Sichakou MemberAn ornithuromorph
Archaeornithura Archaeornithura meemannae Holotype.jpg
Archaeornithura
Cruralispennia C. multidontaSichakou MemberAn enantiornithine
Cruralispennia Cruralispennia reconstruction.tif
Cruralispennia
Eopengornis E. martiniAn enantiornithine

"Hebeiornis"

"H. fengningensis"

Qiaotou Member

Nomen nudum/objective junior synonym of Vescornis

Jibeinia

J. luanhera

Qiaotou Member

An enantiornithine

Jinfengopteryx

J. elegans

Qiaotou Member

A troodontid
Jinfengopteryx Jinfengopteryx wiki.jpg
Jinfengopteryx

Protopteryx

P. fengningensis

Sichakou Member

An enantiornithine

Shenqiornis [1]

S. mengi

Qiaotou Member

An enantiornithine

Vescornis

V. hebeiensis

Qiaotou Member

An enantiornithine
Xunmenglong X. yinlianglisA compsognathid

Pterosaurs

GenusSpeciesCountyMemberAbundanceNotesImages
Cratonopterus [5] C. huabei Fengning A ctenochasmatid
Ornithocheiroidea [6] IndeterminateFengningPartial skeleton of an indeterminate ornithocheiroid

Fishes

GenusSpeciesCountyMemberAbundanceNotesImages

Lycoptera

L. davidi

Also present in the Jiufotang Formation & Yixian Formation

An osteoglossomorph

Lycoptera davidi Lycoptera davidi.jpg
Lycoptera davidi
Yanosteus longidorsalis Yanosteus longidorsalis MHNT.jpg
Yanosteus longidorsalis

L. tokunagai

Peipiaosteus

P. fengningensis

A fish related to sturgeons

Protopsephurus

P. liui

Also present in the Jiufotang & Yixian Formations

A paddlefish

Yanosteus

Y. longidorsalis

Also present in the Yixian Formation

A peipiaosteid

Invertebrates

GenusSpeciesCountyMemberAbundanceNotesImages
Yanjiestheria Y. huajiyingensisWell-preserved remains and eggs. [7] A spinicaudatan

Related Research Articles

The Yixian Formation is a geological formation in Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, that spans the late Barremian and early Aptian stages of the Early Cretaceous. It is known for its exquisitely preserved fossils, and is mainly composed of basalts interspersed with siliciclastic sediments.

<i>Jinfengopteryx</i> Theropod dinosaur genus

Jinfengopteryx is a genus of maniraptoran dinosaur. It was found in the Qiaotou Member of the Huajiying Formation of Hebei Province, China, and is therefore of uncertain age. The Qiaotou Member may correlate with the more well-known Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, and so probably dates to around 122 Ma ago.

<i>Lycoptera</i> Extinct genus of fishes

Lycoptera is an extinct genus of fish that lived from Lower Cretaceous, Barremian to Aptian in present-day China, North Korea, Mongolia and Siberia. Although there is record from Jurassic Formation in Siberia, its age remains questionable. It is known from abundant fossils representing sixteen species, which serve as important index fossil used to date geologic formations in China. Along with the genus Peipiaosteus, Lycoptera has been considered a defining member of the Jehol Biota, a prehistoric ecosystem famous for its feathered dinosaurs, which flourished for 20 million years during the Early Cretaceous, where it occurs abundantly in often monospecific beds, where they are thought to have died in seasonal mass death events. Lycoptera is a crown group teleost belonging to an early diverging lineage of the Osteoglossomorpha, which contains living mooneyes, arapaima, arowana, elephantfish and knifefish/featherbacks.

<i>Eopteranodon</i> Genus of tapejarid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous

Eopteranodon is a genus of tapejarid pterosaur from the Aptian-age Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Beipiao City, Liaoning, China. The genus was named in 2005 by paleontologists Lü Junchang and Zhang Xingliao. The type species is Eopteranodon lii.

<i>Yanoconodon</i> Extinct family of mammals

Yanoconodon is a monotypic genus of extinct early mammal whose representative species Yanoconodon allini lived during the Mesozoic in what is now China. The holotype fossil of Yanoconodon was excavated in the Yan Mountains about 300 kilometres from Beijing in the Qiaotou member of the Huajiying Formation of Hebei Province, China, and is therefore of uncertain age. The Qiaotou Member may correlate with the more well-known Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, and so probably dates to around 122 Ma ago.

Cathayopterus is an extinct genus of ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous-age Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China. The name means "China wing", using the word "Cathay" as an old alternative name for China. The type species is C. grabaui, described in 2006 by Wang Xiaolin and Zhou Zhongh. It is a member of the Ctenochasmatidae, a clade of mostly filter feeding pterosaurs from the Jurassic and early Cretaceous.

Vescornis is a genus of enantiornithine bird. One species is named, V. hebeiensis. The holotype fossil is in the collection of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its catalog number is CAGS 130722. The fossil was found in Early Cretaceous rocks first attributed to the Yixian Formation, Senjitu, Fengning County, Hebei Province, China. However, later study of area geology showed that these rocks actually belong to the Huajiying Formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jehol Biota</span> Ecosystem of northeastern China between 133 and 120 million years ago

The Jehol Biota includes all the living organisms – the ecosystem – of northeastern China between 133 and 120 million years ago. This is the Lower Cretaceous ecosystem which left fossils in the Yixian Formation and Jiufotang Formation. These deposits are composed of layers of tephra and sediment. It is also believed to have left fossils in the Sinuiju series of North Korea. The ecosystem in the Lower Cretaceous was dominated by wetlands and numerous lakes. Rainfall was seasonal, alternating between semiarid and mesic conditions. The climate was temperate. The Jehol ecosystem was interrupted periodically by ash eruptions from volcanoes to the west. The word "Jehol" is a historical transcription of the former Rehe Province.

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. 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. New uranium-lead dates reveal the formation is deposited in the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous. Fossils of Microraptor and Jeholornis are from the Jiufotang.

Paraprotopteryx is a genus of enantiornithean birds from the Mesozoic of China.

<i>Protopteryx</i> Extinct genus of birds

Protopteryx is an extinct bird and the most basal enantiornithean, from the Cretaceous period. The type species is P. fengningensis. It was first discovered in the Sichakou Member of the Yixian Formation or Huajiying Formation of Hebei Province, northern China, dating from 131 Ma ago. Protopteryx has been found in the Daibeigou formation, as well. The name Protopteryx means "primitive feather": "proto-" meaning "the first of" and "-pteryx" meaning "feather" or "wing." The name comes from the fact that Protopteryx feathers are more primitive than those of modern birds, such as the two elongated tail feathers that lack barbs and rami.

The Tuchengzi Formation is a geological formation in China whose strata span the Tithonian to Berriasian ages. Dinosaur fossils, particularly footprints, have been found from the formation.

Jibeinia is a genus of enantiornithean bird. Only one species has been named, Jibeinia luanhera. It is known from one holotype fossil found in the Hebei province, People's Republic of China. This fossil is now lost. The holotype was, however, described and figured in detail by Hou (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ctenochasmatidae</span> Family of ctenochasmatoid pterosaurs

Ctenochasmatidae is a group of pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. They are characterized by their distinctive teeth, which are thought to have been used for filter-feeding. Ctenochasmatids lived from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous periods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiaojishan Formation</span> Geological formation in China

The Tiaojishan Formation is a geological formation in Hebei and Liaoning, People's Republic of China, dating to the middle-late Jurassic period. It is known for its exceptionally preserved fossils, including those of plants, insects and vertebrates. It is made up mainly of pyroclastic rock interspersed with basic volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Previously, the Tiaojishan Formation was grouped together with the underlying Haifanggou Formation as a single "Lanqi Formation." The Tiaojishan Formation forms a key part of the Yanliao Biota assemblage, alongside the Haifanggou Formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleobiota of the Yixian Formation</span>

The Yixian Formation is a geological formation in Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, that spans about 1.6 million years during the early Cretaceous period. It is known for its fossils, listed below.

Shenqiornis is a bird genus of the Enantiornithes. It was found in the Qiaotou Member of the Huajiying Formation of Hebei Province, China, and is therefore of uncertain age. The Qiaotou Member may correlate with the more well-known Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, and so probably is dated to the Aptian, around 122 million years ago.

Hongshanornithidae is an extinct group of early ornithuromorph birds from the early Cretaceous period of China. It includes the genera Hongshanornis and Tianyuornis from the Yixian Formation of Inner Mongolia, Longicrusavis from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, Parahongshanornis from the Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning Province, and Archaeornithura, the oldest known member, from the Huajiying Formation of Hebei Province.

<i>Forfexopterus</i> Genus of ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous

Forfexopterus is a genus of ctenochasmatid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in China. It contains a single species, F. jeholensis, named from a mostly complete skeleton by Shunxing Jiang and colleagues in 2016. A second specimen, consisting of a wing, was described in 2020. While the first specimen is larger, it shows signs of being less mature than the second specimen, indicating that the developmental trajectories of Forfexopterus were variable. Like other ctenochasmatids, Forfexopterus had a long, low skull filled with many slender teeth; unlike other members of the group, however, it did not have a spatula-shaped snout tip or crests, and its teeth were more curved. A single characteristic distinguishes Forfexopterus from all other members of the wider group Archaeopterodactyloidea: of the four phalanx bones in its wing finger, the first was shorter than the second but longer than the third.

Cratonopterus is an extinct genus of ctenochasmatid pterosaurs from the Early Cretaceous Huajiying Formation of China. The genus contains a single species, C. huabei, known from a partial skeleton. Cratonopterus represents the first named pterosaur from the Huajiying Formation.

References

  1. 1 2 Wang, X., O’Connor, J.K., Zhao, B., Chiappe, L.M., Gao, C. and Cheng, X. (2010). "New species of Enantiornithes (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Qiaotou Formation in Northern Hebei, China." Acta Geologica Sinica, 84(2): 247-256.
  2. Zhou, Z. (2006). "Evolutionary radiation of the Jehol Biota: chronological and ecological perspectives." Geological Journal, 41: 377–393.
  3. Tian, S.G., Liu, Y.Q., Li, P.X., Pang, Q. and Niu, S. (2003). "Sequence stratigraphy of Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary strata in Luanping, Northern Hebei, China." Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences, 47(7): 607―617.
  4. Jin, F., Zhang, F.C., Li, Z.H., Zhang, J.Y., Li, C. and Zhou, Z.H. (2008). "On the horizon of Protopteryx and the early vertebrate fossil assemblages of the Jehol Biota." Chinese Science Bulletin, 53(18): 2820-2827.
  5. Jiang, Shunxing; Song, Junyi; Zhang, Xinjun; Cheng, Xin; Wang, Xiaolin (2023-11-15). "A new pterosaur from the early stage of the Jehol biota in China, with a study on the relative thickness of bone walls". Heliyon. E22370. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22370 . PMC   10709016 .
  6. Zhou, Chang-Fu; Zhu, Ziheng; Chen, Jianye (2022-05-22). "First pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Huajiying Formation of the Jehol Biota, northern Hebei Province, China: insights on the pedal diversity of Pterodactyloidea". Historical Biology. 35 (7): 1129–1135. doi:10.1080/08912963.2022.2079085. ISSN   0891-2963.
  7. Li, Gang (2022-11-25). "New spinicaudatan species (Crustacea) of the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Hauterivian) Jehol Biota from northern Hebei, China". Cretaceous Research. 143: 105425. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105425. ISSN   0195-6671. S2CID   253998860.