Aitym Formation
Geological formation in Uzbekistan
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The Aitym Formation is a geological formation in Uzbekistan which possibly dates to the Santonian stage of the Late Cretaceous period.[1]
| Aitym Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: ?Santonian ~ | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Overlies | Bissekty Formation |
| Area | Kyzylkum Desert |
| Thickness | up to |
| Location | |
  Aitym Formation (Uzbekistan) | |
The formation has not been precisely dated. However, certain fossils suggest the formation was deposited during the Santonian stage of the Late Cretaceous period.[1]
Fossil content
A diverse fauna has been unearthed from the Aitym Formation including oysters, ammonites and many marine vertebrates, including an abundant assemblage of chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fish), a rarer assemblage of osteichthyans (bony fish), and rather infrequent finds of plesiosaurs, and sea turtles. Terrestrial vertebrate remains are extremely rare in the formation. A few bones of salamanders, lizards, crocodiles, possibly terrestrial turtle remains, dinosaurs (including birds), and mammals have been found in the formation.[1]
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Mammals
| Mammals of the Aitym Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
| Uzbekbaatar | U. wardi[1] | A cimolodontan multituberculate | ||
| Shalbaatar | cf. S. sp.[1] | A spalacotheriid symmetrodont | ||
| Deltatherus | cf. D. sp.[1] | A deltatheroidan; reclassified later as Sulestes, as the two genera have been synonymized | ||
| Daulestes | aff. D. sp[1] | A asioryctithere | ||
| Kulbeckia | Kulbeckia sp. cf. K. kulbecke[1] | A possible zalambdalestid | ||
| aff. Kulbeckia sp.[1] | ||||
| Paranyctoides | Paranyctoides sp. cf. P. aralensis[1] | A possible lipotyphlan | ||
| Paranyctoides sp.[1] | ||||
| Eoungulatum | E. sp. cf. E. kudukensis[1] | Zhelestid ungulatomorphs | ||
| Parazhelestes | P. sp. cf. P. robustus[1] | |||
| P. sp. aff. P. minor[1] | ||||
| Aspanlestes | cf. A. sp.[1] | |||
Molluscs
| Molluscs of the Aitym Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
| Placenticeras | P. kyzylkumense[1] | A placenticeratid ammonite | ||
Amphibians
| Amphibians of the Aitym Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
| Eoscapherpeton | E. asiaticum[2] | A giant salamander | ||