Qigu Formation

Qigu Formation
Qigu Formation
Stratigraphic range: Oxfordian-Early Kimmeridgian, ; 160.8–155.3 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Kalaza Formation
Overlies	Toutunhe Formation (Junggar) Qiketai Formation (equivalent unit in the Turpan Basin)
Thickness	Over 520 m (1,710 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Siltstone, sandstone
Location
Coordinates	43°36′N 87°18′E / 43.6°N 87.3°E
Approximate paleocoordinates	42°54′N 97°30′E / 42.9°N 97.5°E
Region	Xinjiang
Country	China
Extent	Southern Junggar Basin (blue); Turpan Basin (disputed) (cyan)
	Qigu Formation (Dzungaria)

The Qigu Formation is a Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) geologic formation in the Southern Junggar Basin in China. Indeterminate Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, including theropod teeth and a fibula.^[1] a stegosaur dorsal vertebra^[2] and a Eusauropod tooth.^[3] Xinjiangtitan was erroneously thought to be from this formation, but it is actually from the older Qiketai Formation, which is in a different basin.^[4] The term "Qigu Formation" is also used to sediments of equivalent age in the Turpan Basin, but this might better be treated as a separate formation. It is laterally equivalent to the Shishugou Formation.

Fossil content

The mass accumulation of Jurassic freshwater turtle fossils belonging to the genus Annemys, discovered in 2009 at a site nicknamed "Mesa Chelonia" in Shanshan County, Xinjiang is thought to likely belong to the Qigu Formation, though it belongs to the strata of the Turpan Basin.^[5]^[6] Remains of indeterminate dinosaurs, including ankylosaurs, metriacanthosaurids, and dromaeosaurids are known from the formation.^[7]^[8]^[9]

The remains of indeterminate rhamphorhynchid pterosaurs have been recovered from the formation. Among others, the following fossils have been found in the formation:^[10]

Crocodyliformes
Taxa	Species	Material	Location	Notes	Images
Nominosuchus	Indeterminate		Liuhuanggou bonebed
Sunosuchus
Theriosuchus

Mammaliamorphs^[11]
Taxa	Species	Material	Location	Notes	Images
Nanolestes	N. mackennai		Liuhuanggou bonebed
Tegotherium	Indeterminate
Dsungarodon	D. zuoi			Docodontan
Sineleutherus	S. uyguricus
Eutriconodonta	Indeterminate

References

^ Maisch, Michael W.; Matzke, Andreas T. (October 2003). "Theropods (dinosauria, saurischia) from the middle Jurassic Toutunhe Formation of the Southern Junggar Basin, NW China". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 77 (2): 281–292. Bibcode:2003PalZ...77..281M. doi:10.1007/BF03006942. ISSN 0031-0220. S2CID 129631182.
^ Wings, Oliver; Pfretzschner, Hans-Ulrich; Maisch, Michael W. (2007-01-01). "The first evidence of a stegosaur (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Jurassic of Xinjiang/China". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 243 (1): 113–118. doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2007/0243-0113. ISSN 0077-7749.
^ Maisch, Michael W.; Matzke, Andreas T. (2019-01-01). "First record of a eusauropod (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Upper Jurassic Qigu-Formation (southern Junggar Basin, China), and a reconsideration of Late Jurassic sauropod diversity in Xinjiang". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 291 (1): 109–117. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2019/0792. ISSN 0077-7749. S2CID 135213577.
^ Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution." Pp. 517-607.
^ Wings, Oliver; Rabi, Márton; Schneider, Jörg W.; Schwermann, Leonie; Sun, Ge; Zhou, Chang-Fu; Joyce, Walter G. (2012), "An enormous Jurassic turtle bone bed from the Turpan Basin of Xinjiang, China", Naturwissenschaften, 114 (11): 925–935, Bibcode:2012NW.....99..925W, doi:10.1007/s00114-012-0974-5, PMID 23086389, S2CID 17423081
^ Gannon, Megan (October 31, 2012), "Jurassic turtle graveyard found in China", Livescience.com
^ Augustin, Felix J.; Matzke, Andreas T.; Maisch, Michael W.; Pfretzschner, Hans-Ulrich (2020-12-15). "A theropod dinosaur feeding site from the Upper Jurassic of the Junggar Basin, NW China". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 560: 109999. Bibcode:2020PPP...56009999A. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2020.109999. ISSN 0031-0182. S2CID 225210438.
^ Augustin, Felix J.; Matzke, Andreas T.; Maisch, Michael W.; Pfretzschner, Hans-Ulrich (July 2020). "First evidence of an ankylosaur (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Jurassic Qigu Formation (Junggar Basin, NW China) and the early fossil record of Ankylosauria". Geobios. 61: S0016699520300504. Bibcode:2020Geobi..61....1A. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2020.06.005. S2CID 225545154.
^ Maisch, Michael W.; Matzke, Andreas T. (2020-01-01). "Small theropod teeth (Dinosauria) from the Upper Jurassic Qigu Formation of the southern Junggar Basin, NW China". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 295 (1): 91–100. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2020/0869. S2CID 213709095.
^ Qigu Formation at Fossilworks.org
^ Thomas Martin; Alexander O. Averianov; Hans-Ulrich Pfretzschner (2010). "Mammals from the Late Jurassic Qigu Formation in the Southern Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 90 (3): 295–319. Bibcode:2010PdPe...90..295M. doi:10.1007/s12549-010-0030-4. S2CID 129008041.