Posongchong Formation

Posongchong Formation
Stratigraphic range: Pragian
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Pojiao Formation
Overlies	Meitan Formation
Location
Region	Yunnan
Country	China

The Posongchong Formation is an early Devonian formation from China. It preserves a wide range of plant and fish fossils, many being only known from this formation. ^[1]

Paleobiota

Plants

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

Plants
Genus	Species	Higher taxon	Notes	Images
Adoketophyton	A. subverticillatum, A. parvulum, [1] A. pingyipuensis [2]	Lycophyta?	Formerly placed within Zosterophyllum	Reconstruction of Adoketophyton
Amplectosporangium	A. jiangyouense, A. unilaterale, A. unilaterale forma minor [2]	incertae sedis	A. unilaterale was formerly placed within Oricilla [1]
Baragwanathia	B. sp.	Drepanophycales	Only known from leafy stems, cannot be placed in a species [1]	B. longifolia fossil
Catenalis	C. digitata [1]	Tracheophyta incertae sedis	Intermediate between algae and vascular plants [3]
Celatheca [4]	C. beckii	Lyginopteridales?	One of the earliest known seed plants [1]
Cervicornus [5]	C. wenshanensis	Sphenopsida? [1]	Sporangia unknown, may be synonymous with Estinnophyton
Demersatheca	D. contigua	Zosterophylls [6]	Only known from fertile axes [1]
Dibracophyton [7]	D. acrovatum	Barinophytopsida incertae sedis [1]	Relatively unusual with dichotomous branching “leaves”
Discalis	D. longistipa	Zosterophyllales [8]	Bears spines on its main axes, somewhat resembles Sawdonia [1]
Distichophytum	D. sp.	Zosterophyllales	Only known from a fragmentary specimen [1]	D. ovatum reconstruction
Estinnophyton [9]	E. yunnanense	Sphenopsida?	Possibly a stem-sphenopsid [1]
Eophyllophyton [10]	E. bellum	Eophyllophytopsida (Euphyllophytes) [1]	Oldest plant with megaphyllous leaves	Eophyllophyton fossil
Guangnania	G. cuneata	Zosterophyllopsida? [11]	Unclear whether it truly is a zosterophyll, somewhat similar to Yunia [1]
Gumuia [12]	G. zyzzata	Zosterophyllales	One of the most well-known Posongchong plants [1]
Halleophyton [13]	H. zhichangense	Drepanophycales	Another possible species also known from the formation [1]
Hedeia [14]	H. sinica	Progymnospermopsida?	Resembles both seed plants and trimerophytes [1]
Hicklingia	cf. Hicklingia sp.	Zosterophyllales	Resembles the type species of the genus, but bears a few differences from it [1]
Hueberia	H. zhichangensis [15]	Drepanophycales? [16]	Also resembles Leclercqia , however lack of anatomy means its position is unclear. [1]
Huia [17]	H. recurvata	Rhyniopsida?	Likely related to Renalia [1]
Ornicephalum [2]	O. sichuanense	Zosterophyllopsida	Formerly classed within Zosterophyllum
Pauthecophyton	P. gracile	Trimerophyta [18]	Related to Psilophyton [1]
Polythecophyton	P. demissum	Progymnospermopsida?	Likely related to Hedeia and Aneurophytales [1] [19]
Psilophyton	P. primitivum [14]	Trimerophyta	One of the most widespread basal vascular plants [1]	P. crenulatum fossil
Ramoferis	R. amalia	Zosterophyllales	Closely resembles Zosterophyllum [20] [1]
Riccardiothallus	R. devonicus	Aneuraceae	Earliest simple thalloid liverwort known [21]
Stachyophyton [22]	S. yunnanense	Tracheophyta incertae sedis	Divergent from other plants due to its leaf-like branches and other features [1]	Stachyophyton fossil
Wenshania	W. zhichangensis	Zosterophyllales	Closely resembles Zosterophyllum [23] [1]
Yunia [24]	Y. dichotoma, Y. guangnania [1]	Zosterophyllopsida?	Possibly closer to euphyllophytes than zosterophylls?	Y. dichotoma reconstruction
Zhenglia	Z. radiata	Protolepidodendrales? [25]	May preserve the earliest lycophyte ligulae [1]
Zosterophyllum	Z. australianum, Z. ramosum, Z. minifertillum, Z. tenerum [1]	Zosterophyllales	Known from numerous other localities	Reconstruction of Zosterophyllum sp.

Animals

Animals
Genus	Species	Higher taxon	Notes	Images
Arquatichthys	A. porosus	Dipnomorpha	Only known from scales and skull material [26]
Brevipetalichthys	B. gracilis	Petalichthyida
Euporosteus	E. yunnanensis	Actinistia	Earliest known anatomically modern coelacanth [27]
Gantarostrataspis [28]	G. gengi	Gantarostrataspidae (Galeaspida)	Bears an unusual sensory system
Gumuaspis [28]	G. rostrata	Huananaspidae	Resembles Laxaspis
Huananaspis [29]	H. wudinensis	Huananaspidae	Also known from the Nagaoling Formation [30]
Lungmenshanaspis	L. yunnanensis	Huananaspidae (Galeaspida)	From a different locality to the “main” Posongchong Formation, yet correlates with it in age [31]	Reconstruction of both Lungmenshanaspis species
Macrothyraspis	M. longicornis, M. longilanceus	Macrothyraspidae (Galeaspida)	Bears unusually long cornual and rostral processes [32]
Osteolepiformes indet.	Unapplicable	Osteolepiformes	Cannot be placed within a genus [31]
Qingmenaspis [33]	Q. microculus	Galeaspida incertae sedis	Bears similar unornamented regions to osteostracan “lateral fields”
Qingmenodus	Q. yui	Onychodontidae	The first onychodont to preserve the otoccipital region of the skull [34]	Skull material (A-D) and life reconstruction (E)
Rhegmaspis	R. xiphoidea	Gantarostrataspidae (Galeaspida)	Likely quite active as shown by its streamlined head shield [35]	Reconstruction of various galeaspids (Rhegmaspis at the top)
Sanqiaspis	S. rostrata, S. zhaotongensis	Sanqiaspididae (Galeaspida)	Species also known from Vietnam [36]
Tungsenia	T. paradoxa	Tetrapodomorpha	Most basal and earliest known tetrapodomorph [37]	Tungsenia reconstruction
Wenshanaspis	W. zhichangensis [38]	Zhaotongaspididae (Galeaspida) [39]	Differentiated by its cornual processes
Yiminaspis	Y. shenme	Wuttagoonaspidae	Suggests a Chinese origin of the family [40]	Yiminaspis reconstruction
Zhaotongaspis	Z. janvieri	Zhaotongaspididae (Galeaspida)	Bears the highest quantity of branchial fossae known in agnathans [41]

References

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