The Lufeng Formation (formerly Lower Lufeng Series) is a Lower Jurassic sedimentary rock formation found in Yunnan, China. It has two units: the lower Dull Purplish Beds/Shawan Member are of Hettangian age, and Dark Red Beds/Zhangjia'ao Member are of Sinemurian age.Luo, Z., and X.-C. Wu. 1994. The small tetrapods of the Lower Lufeng Formation, Yunnan, China; pp. 251–270 in N. C. Fraser and H.-D.Sues (eds.), In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs. Cambridge University Press, New York It is known for its fossils of early dinosaurs. The Dull Purplish Beds have yielded the possible therizinosaur Eshanosaurus, the possible theropod Lukousaurus, and the "prosauropods" "Gyposaurus" sinensis, Lufengosaurus, Jingshanosaurus, and Yunnanosaurus. Dinosaurs discovered in the Dark Red Beds include the theropod Sinosaurus triassicus, the "prosauropods" "Gyposaurus", Lufengosaurus, and Yunnanosaurus, indeterminate remains of sauropods, and the early armored dinosaurs Bienosaurus and Tatisaurus.Weishampel, et al. 2004.
Paleofauna
Rhynchocephalians Rhynchocephalians reported from the Lufeng Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material NotesClevosaurusJones MEH. 2006 The Early Jurassic clevosaurs from China (Diapsida: Lepidosauria). New Mex. Museum Nat. Hist. Sci. Bull. 37, 548–562.IndeterminateYunnanPartial skulls and jaws.The three named species do not display any autapomorphic characters and should be considered indeterminate within the genus. Only record of rhynchocephalians from Asia.
Crurotarsans
Crurotarsans reported from the Lufeng Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material NotesDianchungosaurus"48.3 Yunnan, People's Republic of China; 2. Dark Red Beds of the Lower Lufeng Series," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 534.D. lufengensisYunnanDark Red BedsFormerly considered an ornithopod dinosaur.DianosuchusYoung, C.-C. (1982). On a primitive crocodile from Lufeng, Yunnnan. Selected Works on Yang Zhungijang. Science Press, Beijing pp. 26–28.D. changchiawaensisLufeng, YunnanDark Red BedsMicrochampsaYoung, C.C., 1951, "The Lufeng saurischian fauna in China", Palaeontologia Sinica, New Series C, 13: 1-96M. scutataDahuangtian localityLower Red Beds iIncomplete skeleton consisting of cervical and anterior dorsal vertebrae as well as ribs and three rows of dorsal osteodermsPhyllodontosuchusP. lufengensisDawa, YunnanDark Red BedsBVP568-L12, a crushed skullA potential non-carnivorous crocodrylomorphPlatyognathusP. hsuiLufeng, YunnanZhangjiawa MemberIVPP V8266, rostral portion of a skull missing the dorsal bones and with articulated incomplete mandible; CVEB 21301, a nearly complete skull with articulated mandible, articulated with the anterior 17 vertebrae and associated dorsal osteoderms; part of the right scapulocoracoid; the left humerus; the right femur and proximal tibia and fibulaThe oldest GobiosuchoideanStrigosuchusS. licinusLufeng, Yunnan Zhangjia'ao MemberFMNH CUP 2082
Ornithischians Indeterminate ornithopod remains Yunnan. Dark Red Beds.
Ornithischians reported from the Lufeng Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material NotesBienosaurusB. lufengensisYunnanDark Red BedsA right "[d]entary with teeth,""Table 15.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 336. with additional cranial fragments such as a partial frontal. These specimens are catalogued as IVPP V 9612. The dentary preserves 11 teeth or roots with two additional empty alveoli. TatisaurusT. oehleri YunnanDark Red Beds "Isolated dentary."
Sauropodomorphs
Sauropodomorphs reported from the Lufeng Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes ImagesChuxiongosaurusC. lufengensisYunnan "Skull"GyposaurusG. sinensisYunnan Dark Red Beds Dull Purplish Beds"[Two] skeletons, [one] with partial skull, [two] partial skeletons, [three] skull fragments, adult.""Table 12.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 234.FulengiaF. youngiYunnan Dark Red Beds"Skull.""Table 12.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 236. JingshanosaurusJ. xinwaensis Yunnan Dull Purplish Beds "Complete skeleton with skull, adult.""Kunmingosaurus""K. wusdingensis"Yunnan Dark Red Bedsnomen nudumLishulongL. wangiYunnan Shawan MemberSkull and cervical vertebrae 2–10 LufengosaurusL. huenei Yunnan Dark Red Beds Dull Purplish "(including Gyposaurus sinensis, L. magnus)"L. magnusYunnan Dark Red Beds Dull Purplish TawasaurusT. minorYunnan Dark Red BedsXingxiulongX. chengiYunnanX. yueorumYunnan Zhangjiaao MemberLF2015-NO01, an articulated postcranial skeletonYizhousaurusY. sunaeYunnan Zhangjiaao MemberPartial skeleton with skull YunnanosaurusY. huangi Yunnan Dark Red Beds Dull Purplish "More than [twenty] partial to complete skeletons, [two] skulls, juvenile to adult."Y. robustusYunnan Dark Red Beds Dull Purplish
Theropods Theropods reported from the Lower Lufeng Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images EshanosaurusE. deguchiianus Yunnan Dull Purplish Beds"48.3 Yunnan, People's Republic of China; 1. Dull Purplish Beds of the Lower Lufeng Series," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 534."Dentary.""Table 7.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 152. Possible therizinosaur Lukousaurus"48.3 Yunnan, People's Republic of China; 1. Dull Purplish Beds of the Lower Lufeng Series and 2. Dark Red Beds of the Lower Lufeng Series" in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 534.L. yini Yunnan Dark Red Beds Dull Purplish Beds Holotype skull, tooth Three bone fragmentsM. N. Bien. 1940. Discovery of Triassic saurischian and primitive mammalian remains at Lufeng, Yunnan. Bulletin of the Geological Society of China 20(3/4):225-234Possible crocodylomorph SinosaurusS. triassicus Yunnan Dark Red Beds Dull Purplish Beds Maxillary fragments, teeth, and a lower jaw fragment Incomplete skull and other post-cranial fragmentsDilophosaurus sinensis specimen
Now included in SinosaurusPanguraptorP. lufengensisYunnan Dull Purplish Beds Partial skeletonA coelophysoid
Cynodonts Cynodonts reported from the Lufeng Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes ImagesBienotheriumB. yuannanese B. magnumA tritylodontidDianzhongiaD. longirostrataA tritylodontidHadrocodiumH. wuiYunnan Dark Red Beds Skull One of the oldest and smallest mammaliaforms known. Indicates a correlation between the separation of the middle ear bones from the mandible and the expanded brain vault in early mammals.LufengiaL. delicataA tritylodontidMorganucodon M. oehleri M. heikuopengensisZhangjiawa Member (M. heikuopengensis) Shawan Member (M. oehleri)A morganucodontanSinoconodon S. rigneyi Zhangjiawa MemberA mammaliamorph closely related to MammaliaformesYunnanodonY. brevirostreYunnan Dark Red BedsA tritylodontid
See also List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
References
Bibliography
Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. .