PAN Zecheng, XU Li, PU Hanyong, JIA Songhai, LÜ Junchang2 ZHOU Shiquan3 CHANG Huali, ZHANG Haiqing & YANG Lili (2016)
The geological age and paleoenvironment of Baby Louie bearing strata.
Geological Bulletin of China 35(12): 1961-1966.
"Baby Louie" dinosaur fossil embryo, located at the bottom of Upper Cretaceous Gaogou Formation in Xixia Basin, was excavated from Zhaoying Village of Yangcheng Township in Xixia County of Nanyang City, Henan Province. Upper Cretaceous strata of Xixia Basin can be divided from bottom to top into Gaogou Formation, Majiacun Formation and Sigou Formation. "Baby Louie" is embryonic skeleton fossil of Macroelongatoolithus xixaensis. Gaogou Formation is rich in dinosaur egg fossils and little dinosaur bone fossils as well as a few fossil fragments of bivalve, gastropods, Ostracods, Charophyceae, plant pollen, and plant fossil together with abundant trace fossils. According to geological age of fossils in combination with conformable contact between Majiacun Formation and Gaogou Formation as well as fossil assemblage of Sigou Formation, angular contact between Gaogou Formation and Lower Devonian Nanwan Formation and stratigraphic correlation with surrounding basin layers, the authors hold that geological epoch of Gaogou Formation in Xixia Basin should be Late Cretaceous Coniacian. The lower and middle Gaogou Formation seems to be terrigenous clastic rocks of semi-arid red continental type molasse-like formation belonging to alluvial fan and braided river sedimentation of intermittent muddy waters, whereas the upper part of Gaogou Formation seems to be alluvial fan and traction current deposit. The horizontal paleo-geographic environment of "Baby Louie" is flat and wide alluvial fan facing south at the alluvial end, which can be classified as alluvial fan facies-fan end subfacies-flowing microfacies.
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CAO Jun, XING Lida, YANG Geng, SHEN Hongjiang, ZHENG Xiaomin, YANG Lin, LIU Ming, QIN Yongchao, ZHANG Huanxin, RAN Hao & MAO Lei (2016)
The reconstruction of the Cretaceous dinosaur fauna in Panxi region based on dinosaur tracks.
Geological Bulletin of China 35(12):1961-1966
The Panxi region has rich Cretaceous dinosaur ichnofaunal assemblages. Since the discovery of fossil tracks in 1991, no fewer than 11 track morphotypes have been recognized from at least 8 tracksites. They include 9 different dinosaur track types (attributable to 6 non-avian theropod, 2 avian theropod, and 1 sauropod trackmakers) and tracks of pterosaurs and turtles, which occur within 185 trackways (and isolated footprints) and may reflect trackmakers of the same number. This high ichnofaunal diversity within the Feitianshan Formation exceeds that of the Xiaoba Formation and Leidashu Formation, and provides a comprehensive track database that permits (but is not limited to) a greater understanding of the paleoecology of an area where body fossils are currently unknown.
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DAI Hui, HU Xufeng, WANG Xunqian, HU Haiqian, XIONG Can, YU Haidong, ZHOU Yuxuan, WANG Fengping & XIE Xianming (2016)
Sedimentary environment of dinosaur tracks from the Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation in Qijiang, Chongqing.
Geological Bulletin of China 35(12): 1967-1975
A large number of dinosaur tracks which are mainly Caririchnium lotus have been preserved in the Lotus Fortress of Qijiang, Chongqing. The study of their sedimentary environment is highly important for reconstructing the living environment of dinosaur fauna. On the basis of petrology, sedimentology and paleobiology and by means of petrologic features, sedimentary structure characteristics and grain size distribution, the authors analyzed the sedimentary environment of the dinosaur tracks form Lotus Fortress of Qijiang, Chongqing. There was a meandering river here and the dinosaur tracks were formed in a point bar and flood plain environment.
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