Qiupa Formation

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Qiupa Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian
~72–66  Ma
Stratigraphic occurrence of Yubaatar - sediments.png
Characteristic red brownish siltstones of the Qiupa Formation
Type Geological formation
Unit of Tantou Group
Underlies Gaoyugou Formation
Overlies Shitaijie Formation
Lithology
Primary Mudstone, siltstone
Other Sandstone, conglomerate
Location
Coordinates 33°54′N111°48′E / 33.9°N 111.8°E / 33.9; 111.8 Coordinates: 33°54′N111°48′E / 33.9°N 111.8°E / 33.9; 111.8
Approximate paleocoordinates 31°36′N102°48′E / 31.6°N 102.8°E / 31.6; 102.8
Region Henan Province
CountryFlag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Extent Tantou Basin
Type section
Named forQiupa
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Qiupa Formation (China)
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Qiupa Formation (Henan)

The Qiupa Formation is a Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian geologic formation in Henan Province, central China. It is rich in dinosaur eggs and bones, such as those of carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs. The Qiupa Formation is considered to be Late Maastrichtian in age, about 72 million and 66 million years ago. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Geology

The sedimentation is characterized for the presence of calcareous mudstone interbedded with thin fine conglomerates, brownish red thick-bedded siltstone and parallel and cross laminations. This sedimentation indicates habitats composed by large and shallow meanders with braided river deltas. [2] [3]

Fossil content

The Qiupa Formation has yielded numerous dinosaur fossils, particularly eggs. The remains of various theropods such as troodontids, dromaeosaurids and oviraptorosaurs have been found. In addition, indeterminate remains of sauropods, ornithopods, ankylosaurs, lizards, turtles and a possible avian bone are reported. [4] [2]

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs of the Qiupa Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialNotesImages
Ankylosauridae indet.Indeterminate"A tooth, well-preserved dorsal vertebra, incomplete dorsal rib and ischium." [5] An ankylosaurid
Elongatoolithidae sp.Indeterminate"145 egg shells probably laid by oviraptorids." [6] Oviraptorid eggs
Luanchuanraptor L. henanensis"Teeth, a frontal and fragmented postcrania." [7] A dromaeosaurid Luanchuanraptor.jpg
Qiupalong Q. henanensis"Ilia, ischia, pubes and the right hindlimb." [8] An ornithomimid Qiupalong Restoration.png
Qiupanykus Q. zhangi"Vertebrae and hindlimbs." [3] An alvarezsaurid
"Tyrannosaurus"T. luanchuanensis"Five well preserved teeth." [9] A tyrannosaurid
Yulong Y. mini"Complete crania and much of the postcrania." [10] An oviraptorid Yulong jaw.png

Mammals

Mammals of the Qiupa Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialNotesImages
Lotheridium L. mengi"Nearly complete skull with jaws." [11] A deltatheridiid
Yubaatar Y. zhongyuanensis"Virtually complete crania and fragmented poscrania." [12] A cimolodont Yubaatar skull.jpg

Squamates

Squamates of the Qiupa Formation
GenusSpeciesMaterialNotesImages
Funiusaurus F. luanchuanensis"Partial skull." [13] A polyglyphanodont
Tianyusaurus T. zhengi"Crania and shoulder girdle." [14] A polyglyphanodont Tianyusaurus.jpg
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.

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<i>Yubaatar</i> genus of mammals

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References

  1. Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources of Henan Province (1989). Regional Geology of Henan Province. Beijing: Geological Publishing House. pp. 1−772.
  2. 1 2 3 Jiang, X.-J.; Liu, Y.-Q.; Ji, S.-A.; Zhang, X.-L.; Xu, L.; Jia, S.-H.; Lü, J.-C.; Yuan, C.-X.; Li, M. (2011). "Dinosaur-bearing strata and K/T boundary in the Luanchuan-Tantou Basin of western Henan Province, China". Science China Earth Sciences. 54 (1149). doi:10.1007/s11430-011-4186-1.
  3. 1 2 3 Lü, J. C.; Xu, L.; Chang, H. L.; Jia, S. H.; Zhang, J. M.; Gao, D. S.; Zhang, Y. Y.; Zhang, C. J.; Ding, F. (2018). "A new alvarezsaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan, Henan Province, central China". China Geology. 1: 28–35. doi: 10.31035/cg2018005 .
  4. Kobayashi, Y.; Lü, J.; Lee, Y.-N.; Xu, L.; Zhang, X. (2008). "A new basal ornithomimid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous in Henan Province of China" (PDF). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 28 (supp. 3): 101A. doi:10.1080/02724634.2008.10010459.
  5. Jia, S.-H.; Lü, J.-C.; Xu, L.; Hu, W.-Y.; Li, J.-H.; Zhang, J.-M. (2010). "Discovery and significance of ankylosaur specimens from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation in Luanchuan, Henan, China". Geological Bulletin of China. 29 (4): 483–487.
  6. Tanaka, K.; Lü, J.-C.; Kobayashi, Y.; Zelenitsky, D. K.; Xu, L.; Jia, S.; Qin, S.; Tang, M. (2011). "Description and Phylogenetic Position of Dinosaur Eggshells from the Luanchuan Area of Western Henan Province, China". Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition). 85 (1): 66–74. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2011.00379.x.
  7. Lü, J.-C.; Xu, L.; Zhang, X.-L.; Ji, Q.; Jia, S.-H.; Hu, W.-Y.; Zhang, J.-M.; Wu, Y.-H. (2007). "New dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan area, western Henan, China". Geological Bulletin of China. 26 (7): 777–786.
  8. Xu, L.; Kobayashi, Y.; Lü, J.-C.; Lee, Y. N.; Liu, Y.; Tanaka, K.; Zhang, X.; Jia, S.; Zhang, J. (2011). "A new ornithomimid dinosaur with North American affinities from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation in Henan Province of China". Cretaceous Research. 32 (2): 213–222. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2010.12.004.
  9. Dong, Z. (1979). "Cretaceous dinosaur fossils in southern China" [Cretaceous dinosaurs of the Henan (south China)]. In Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology; Nanjing Institute of Paleontology (eds.). Mesozoic and Cenozoic Redbeds in Southern China (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. pp. 342–350. Translated paper
  10. Lü, J.-C.; Currie, P. J.; Xu, L.; Zhang, X.; Pu, H.; Jia, S. (2013). "Chicken-sized oviraptorid dinosaurs from central China and their ontogenetic implications". Naturwissenschaften. 100 (2): 165–175. Bibcode:2013NW....100..165L. doi:10.1007/s00114-012-1007-0. PMID   23314810.
  11. Bi, S.; Jin, X.; Li, S.; Du, T. (2015). "A new Cretaceous Metatherian mammal from Henan, China". PeerJ. 3: e896. doi: 10.7717/peerj.896 . PMC   4400878 . PMID   25893149.
  12. Xu, L.; Zhang, X.; Pu, H.; Jia, S.; Zhang, J.; Lü, J.-C.; Meng, J. (2015). "Largest known Mesozoic multituberculate from Eurasia and implications for multituberculate evolution and biology". Scientific Reports. 5 (1495). doi: 10.1038/srep14950 . PMC   4615031 . PMID   26492455.
  13. Xu, L.; Lü, J.-C.; Jia, S.; Zhang, J.; Pu, H.; Zhang, X. (2014). "A New Lizard (Lepidosauria: Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous of Henan, China". Acta Geologica Sinica. 88 (4): 1041–1050. doi:10.1111/1755-6724.12271.
  14. Lü, J.-C.; Ji, S.; Dong, Z.; Wu, X.-C. (2008). "An Upper Cretaceous lizard with a lower temporal arcade". Naturwissenschaften. 95: 663–669. doi:10.1007/s00114-008-0364-1. PMID   18338150.