Liushu Formation
| Liushu Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Late Miocene ~ | |
 An artist's illustration of the Paleobiota and environment of the upper part of the Liushu formation | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Red claystone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 35°30′N 103°36′E / 35.5°N 103.6°E |
| Region | Linxia Basin, Gansu Province. |
| Country |  China |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 35°00′N 101°24′E / 35.0°N 101.4°E |
  Liushu Formation (China) | |
The Liushu Formation is a geological formation in Gansu Province, China that spans up to 100 m thick and is widely distributed within the Linxia Basin, with a paleomagnetic age between 11 and 6.4 mya (Upper/Late Miocene).
Geology[edit]
The formation is divided into three parts representing three different ages, generally referred to as the "upper part" (youngest, at 6-7 mya), the "middle part" (intermediate, at 9 to 7.6 mya, also known as the Dashengou Fauna), and the "lower part" (oldest).[1][2]
Paleobiota[edit]
Mammals[edit]
Artiodactyla[edit]
| Genus | Species | County | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chleuastochoerus[3] | C. linxiaensis | Yangwapuzi, Guanghe County | Upper part | A cranium skull of a male individual and a juvenile female | An early pig relative | |
| C. stehlini | Middle to Upper part | Cranium skull and mandible | ||||
| Dicrocerus | D. sp.[4] | Houshan locality, Guanghe County[4] | Upper part | An ancient deer | ||
| D. sp.[4] | Middle part | |||||
| Eostyloceros[5] | E. hezhengensis | Gaojiashan, Hezheng County | Upper part | An adult skull with its cranial appendages, lacking the muzzle, the left dentition, and the basioccipital part | A large-sized muntjak | |
| Euprox[6] | E. furcatus | Upper part | An adult skull and pair of near-complete antlers. | The largest known Eupox species ever discovered | ||
| Gazella | G. sp. | Houshan locality, Guanghe County | Middle part | |||
| Hezhengia | H. bohlini | Houshan locality, Guanghe County | Middle part | A bovid | ||
| Honanotherium | H. schlosseri | Houshan locality, Guanghe County | Middle part | An ancient giraffid | ||
| Miotragocerus | M. sp. | Houshan locality, Guanghe County | Middle part | An extinct antelope | ||
| Paleotragus | P. microdon[4] | Houshan locality, Guanghe County[4] | Upper part | An ancient giraffid | ||
| Protoryx | P. sp.[4] | Houshan locality, Guanghe County[4] | Upper part | An ancient bovid | ||
| Samotherium | S. sp. | Houshan locality, Guanghe County | Middle part | An ancient giraffid | ||
| Shaanxispira | S. sp.[7] | Lower part | An ancient bovid | |||
| Sinotragus | S. wimani[4] | Guanghe County[4] | Upper part | An ancient bovid | ||
| Urmiatherium[8] | U. intermedium | Huaigou village, Gansu province | Upper part | A male adult skull |
Carnivora[edit]
Caniformia[edit]
| Genus | Species | County | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melodon | M. majori | Middle part | A musteloid | |||
| Parataxidea[4] | P. sinensis[4] | Houshan locality, Guanghe County[4] | Upper part[4] | a badger-like mustelid | ||
| Promephitis | P. hootoni | A musteloid | ||||
| P. sp. | Middle part | |||||
| Sinictis | S. sp. | Middle part | A musteloid | |||
| Ursavus[4][9] | U. tedfordi.[4] | Huaigou village, Guanghe County[4] | Upper part[4] | A cranium skull in association with the mandible. | An early bear |
Feliformia[edit]
| Genus | Species | County | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amphimachairodus[4] | A. giganteus[4] | Houshan, Guanghe County[4] | Upper part[4] to Middle part | A homotheriine sabercat |
 | |
| A. hezhengensis[10] | Upper part. | A nearly complete cranium skull | ||||
| Dinocrocuta | D. gigantea | Houshan locality, Guanghe County | Middle part | A gigantic hyena |  | |
| Felis[4] | F. sp.[4] | Guanghe County[4] | Upper part[4] to Middle part | |||
| Hyaenictitherium[4] | H. hyaenoides[4] | Houshan locality, Guanghe County[4] | Upper part to Middle part[4] | A hyaenid |
 | |
| H. wongii[4] | ||||||
| Ictitherium[4] | I. sp.[4] | Guanghe County[4] | Upper part[4] to Middle part | A hyaenid | ||
| Metailurus[4] | M. major[4] | Guanghe County[4] | Upper part[4] | A metalurin sabercat |
Perissodactyla[edit]
The Liushu formation displays a lineage of Elasmotheriine rhinoceros throughout its stratigraphy. Iranotherium is restricted to the middle part of the formation but remains become absent in the overlying layers, the only Elasmotheriine that can be found in the upper layers is Sinotherium.
Chalicotheres[edit]
| Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancylotherium | A. sp.[4] | Guanghe County[4] | Upper part | A shizotheriine chalicothere | ||
| Nestoritherium | N. linxiaense | Houshan locality, Guanghe County | Lower and Middle part | A skull without the occipital surface, right zygomatic arch, premaxilla, and anterior nasal bone | A chalicothere |
Equids[edit]
| Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hipparion | H. coelophyes[4] | Guanghe County[4] | Upper part | An ancient horse | ||
| H. chiai | Middle part | |||||
| H. dongxiangense[7] | Lower part | |||||
| H. weihoensis | Middle part |
Rhinocerotids[edit]
| Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acerorhinus | A. hezhengensis | Middle part | Skulls based on sexual dimorphism | A hornless rhino | ||
|
C. wimani |
Zhongmajia, Guanghe County[4] | Middle part |
A tusked rhino |
 | ||
|
I. morgani[2] |
Guanghe County[2] | Middle part | Two skulls based on sexual dimorphism and an isolated mandible |
An elasmotheriine with a unique sexual dimorphism, ancestral to Sinotherium |
 | |
| Ningxiatherium[11] | N. euryrhinus. | Guonigou in Nalesi Township, Dongxiang County |
Lower part |
A completely adult skull with both cheek tooth rows | ||
| Parelasmotherium | P. linxiaense[7] | Dongxiang County[7] | Lower part | A near complete skull | A grazing elasmotheriine |  |
| P. simplum[7] | Lower part | |||||
|
S. lagrelii[4] |
Guanghe County[4] | Upper part |
A partial skull |
An elasmotheriine, ancestral to Elasmotherium. It displays the important transition from nose-horned to forehead-horned rhinos. |
 |
Glires[edit]
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pararhizomys | P. hipparionum | Middle part | A rodent |
Proboscidea[edit]
| Genus | Species | Locality | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tetralophodon | T. exoletus | Houshan locality, Guanghe County | Middle part | A gomphothere | ||
| Konobelodon | K. robustus | An amebelodont |
Birds[edit]
| Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gansugyps [12] | G. linxiaensis | Yangwapuzijifang, Guanghe County | Upper part | A preserved skeleton | An extinct old-world vulture | |
| Linxiavis[13] | L. inaquosus[13] | Tibetan plateau, Gansu Province | Middle part–Upper part [13] | Articulated and associated elements of the wings, shoulder girdle, vertebrae, and hind limb | An extinct sandgrouse | |
| Miosurnia | M. diurna | Linxia Basin of Gansu Province | A nearly complete articulated bird skeleton, lacking the right forelimb and left manual digits | A surniin bird | ||
| Panraogallus | P. hezhengensis | Zhuangkeji Township, Gansu Province | Upper part | A skeleton | A phasianid bird |
 |
| Sinoergilornis | S. guangheensis | Langwagou Village, Zhuangkeji Town, Guanghe County | Upper part | A three-dimensionally preserved distal left tarsometatarsus and a nearly complete set of pedal phalanges | An eogruid | |
| Struthio[14] | S. linxiaensis | Yangwapuzijifang, Guanghe County | Upper part | An incomplete pelvis and synsacrum | An extinct ostrich |
Reptiles[edit]
| Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eryx | E. linxiaensis | Shangwangjia Village, Gaunghe County | Upper part | A series of partially preserved cranial and post-cranial elements | A sand boa |
References[edit]
- ^ "Vertebrata PalAsiatica, Vol. 42, 2004----Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences". english.ivpp.cas.cn. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
- ^ a b c Deng, Tao (2005-06-27). "New discovery of Iranotherium morgani (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the late Miocene of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China, and its sexual dimorphism". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 25 (2): 442–450. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2005)025[0442:NDOIMP]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 85820005.
- ^ Hou S, Deng T. A new species of Chleuastochoerus (Artiodactyla: Suidae) from the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China. Zootaxa. 2014 Oct 13;3872(5):401-39. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3872.5.1. PMID: 25544095.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as Deng, Tao; Wang, ShiQi; Hou, SuKuan (2013-05-01). "A bizarre tandem-horned elasmothere rhino from the Late Miocene of northwestern China and origin of the true elasmothere". Chinese Science Bulletin. 58 (15): 1811–1817. Bibcode:2013ChSBu..58.1811D. doi:10.1007/s11434-012-5574-4. ISSN 1861-9541.
- ^ Deng, Tao, Wang, Shi-Qi, Shi, Qin-Qin, Li, Yi-Kun & Li, Yu, 2014, A new species of Eostyloceros (Cervidae, Artiodactyla) from the Late Miocene of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China, Zootaxa 3893 (3), pp. 363-381
- ^ Hou, Sukuan. (2014). A new species of Euprox (Cervidae, Artiodactyla) from the upper Miocene of the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China, with interpretation of its paleoenvironment. Zootaxa. 3911. 43-62. 10.11646/zootaxa.3911.1.2.
- ^ a b c d e Deng, Tao (2007-06-12). "Skull of Parelasmotherium (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the upper miocene in the Linxia Basin (Gansu, China)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (2): 467–475. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[467:SOPPRF]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 130213090.
- ^ Shi, Qinqin & Wang, Shiqi & Chen, Shaokun & Li, Yi-kun & Palasiatica, Vertebrata. (2016). The first discovery of Urmiatherium (Bovidae, Artiodactyla) from Liushu Formation, Linxia Basin. Vertebrata Palasiatica.
- ^ QiuZ, X., Deng, T., & WangB, Y. (2014). A Late Miocene Ursavus skull from Guanghe, Gansu, China.
- ^ Jiangzuo Q, Werdelin L, Sanisidro O, Yang R, Fu J, Li S, Wang S, Deng T. Origin of adaptations to open environments and social behaviour in sabretoothed cats from the northeastern border of the Tibetan Plateau. Proc Biol Sci. 2023 Apr 26;290(1997):20230019. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0019. Epub 2023 Apr 19. PMID: 37072045; PMCID: PMC10113030.
- ^ Deng, Tao. (2008). A new elasmothere (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from the Late Miocene of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China. Geobios. 41. 719-728. 10.1016/j.geobios.2008.01.006.
- ^ Zhang, Zihui & Xiaoting, Zheng & Zheng, Guangmei & Hou, Lianhai. (2010). A new Old World vulture (Falconiformes: Accipitridae) from the Miocene of Gansu Province, northwest China. Journal of Ornithology. 151. 401-408. 10.1007/s10336-009-0468-1.
- ^ a b c Li, Zhiheng; Stidham, Thomas A.; Deng, Tao; Zhou, Zhonghe (2020-03-31). "Evidence of Late Miocene Peri-Tibetan Aridification From the Oldest Asian Species of Sandgrouse (Aves: Pteroclidae)". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 8: 59. doi:10.3389/fevo.2020.00059. ISSN 2296-701X.
- ^ Hou, L., Zhou, Z., Zhang, F. et al. A Miocene ostrich fossil from Gansu Province, northwest China. Chin.Sci.Bull. 50, 1808–1810 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1360/982005-575