Qiupa Formation
Geological formation in Henan, China
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The Qiupa Formation (Chinese: 秋扒组; pinyin: Qiūpázǔ) 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]
| Qiupa Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian ~ | |
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 | 33.9°N 111.8°E |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 31.6°N 102.8°E |
| Region | Henan Province |
| Country | China |
| Extent | Tantou Basin |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Qiupa |
  Qiupa Formation (China)  Qiupa Formation (Henan) | |
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][5] Therizinosaurids Protoceratopsids, and medium sized sauropods are also known from the Qiupa Formation [5]
Dinosaurs
| Dinosaurs of the Qiupa Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images |
| Ankylosauridae indet.[6] | Indeterminate | "A tooth, well-preserved dorsal vertebra, incomplete dorsal rib and ischium." | An ankylosaurid | |
| Elongatoolithidae sp.[7] | Indeterminate | "145 egg shells probably laid by oviraptorids." | Oviraptorid eggs | |
| Luanchuanraptor[8] | L. henanensis | "Teeth, a frontal and fragmented postcrania." | A dromaeosaurid |  |
| Qiupalong[9] | Q. henanensis | Partial skeleton preserving the pelvis and the right hindlimb. | An ornithomimid |  |
| Qiupanykus[3] | Q. zhangi | Partial skeleton with vertebrae and hindlimbs. | An alvarezsaurid | |
| "Tyrannosaurus"[10] | T. luanchuanensis | Five teeth. | A tyrannosaurid | |
| Yulong[11][12] | Y. mini | Many juvenile specimens and one subadult skeleton. | An oviraptorid |  |
| Yuornis[13] | Y. junchangi | Partial skeleton. | An enantiornithine bird | |
Mammals
| Mammals of the Qiupa Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images |
| Lotheridium[14] | L. mengi | Nearly complete skull with jaws. | A deltatheridiid |  |
| Yubaatar[15] | Y. zhongyuanensis | "Virtually complete crania and fragmented poscrania." | A cimolodont |  |
Squamates
| Squamates of the Qiupa Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images |
| Funiusaurus[16] | F. luanchuanensis | Partial skull. | A polyglyphanodont | |
| Tianyusaurus[17] | T. zhengi | Skull and shoulder girdle. | A polyglyphanodont |  |
| Zhongyuanxi[18] | Z. jiai | Partial skull. | A stem-varanid anguimorph | |
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |