The Jiufotang Formation (; previously transliterated as Chiufotang Formation) is an Early Cretaceous geological formation in Chaoyang, Liaoning which has yielded fossils of feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, pterosaurs, and other organisms (see Jehol Biota). It is a member of the Jehol group. The exact age of the Jiufotang has been debated for years, with estimates ranging from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. New uranium-lead dates reveal the formation is deposited in the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous. Fossils of Microraptor and Jeholornis are from the Jiufotang. The fossil layers containing lagersatte conditions date from 124.44 to 121.09 Ma.
Fossil content
Choristoderans Genus Species County Member Abundance Notes Philydrosaurus P. proseilus Monjurosuchid Ikechosaurus I. pijiagouensis Simoedosaurid Liaoxisaurus L. chaoyangensis Simoedosaurid Hyphalosaurus H. baitaigouensis Hyphalosaurid
Fish Genus Species County Member Notes ImagesCaeruleumC. miraculumWeichangA lampreyC. gracilisWeichangA lamprey Hebeimyzon H. weichangensis Weichang A lamprey Jinanichthys J. longicephalus An osteoglossomorph Lycoptera L. davidi An osteoglossomorph Peipiaosteus P. pani A fish related to sturgeons Protopsephurus P. liui A paddlefish Sinamia S. zdanskyi An amiiform
Mammaliamorphs Several mammaliamorph specimens have been found from the Jiufotang, but only a few have been formally described and named. Genus Species County Member Material NotesCokotheriumC. jiufotangensisPartial skeletonA eutherian Dongoconodon D. platycauda A nearly complete skeleton Eutriconodont, family unknown Fossiomanus F. sinensis A nearly complete skeleton A tritylodontid cynodont, likely the youngest known non-mammalian synapsid Liaoconodon L. hui A nearly complete skeleton A eutriconodont Unnamed mammal Unnamed Partial remains including a foot and fragments of the skull A mammal similar to Eomaia and Sinodelphys from the Yixian Formation. Found as stomach contents of Microraptor zhaoianus.
Ornithischians Genus Species Locality County Member Material Notes ImagesChuanqilongC. chaoyangensis Liaoning A nearly complete skeleton missing only the distal portion of the caudal series. A basal ankylosaurid, sister taxon to Liaoningosaurus.LiaoningosaurusL. paradoxus Baicaigou locality Liaoning A nearly complete, articulated skeleton A basal ankylosaurid.PsittacosaurusP. meileyingensisMeileyingzi Bed"[Four] individuals, [two] complete skulls.""Table 22.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 479.A ceratopsian.P. mongoliensisShangheshou and Meileyingzi Beds
Pterosaurs Genus Species County Member Material Notes ImagesChaoyangopterusC. zhangi A chaoyangopteridEoazhdarchoE. liaoxiensisA chaoyangopteridFeilongusF. youngiJianshangou Bed A boreopteridForfexopterusF. jeholensisA ctenochasmatidGladocephaloideusG. jingangshanensisJingangshan Bed A ctenochasmatidGuidracoG. venatorA pteranodontoidHongshanopterusH. lacustrisAn istiodactylidHuaxiadracoH. corollatusMultiple specimensA tapejarid"Huaxiapterus""H." benxiensisA tapejarid; synonymized with Huaxiadraco in 2023IkrandracoI. avatarA pteranodontoidJidapterusJ. edentus A chaoyangopteridLiaoningopterusL. guiA pteranodontoidLiaoxipterusL. brachyognathus An istiodactylidLinlongopterusL. jennyaeA pteranodontoidMeilifeilongM. youhaoJianchangA nearly complete skeleton and a partial skullA chaoyangopteridNemicolopterusN. crypticusA tapejaromorph; previously and still occasionally thought to be a tapejarid. Most likely a juvenile, hence small size.NurhachiusN. ignaciobritoi An istiodactylidPangupterusP. liuiA pterodactyloidShenzhoupterusS. chaoyangensisA chaoyangopteridS. sanyainusA chaoyangopteridSinopterusS. dongiA tapejaridS. jiiPreviously known as Huxiapterus jiiVesperopterylusV. lamadongensisAn anurognathid
Saurischians Skeletal and dental remains are known, the latter was assigned to an indeterminate titanosauriform.
Enantiornithines Genus Species County Member Material Notes ImagesAlethoalaornisA. agitornisLi, L., Hu, D.-Y., Duan, Y., Gong, E.-P. and Hou, L.-H. (2007). "Alethoalaornithidae fam. nov., a new family of enantiornithine bird from the Lower Cretaceous of western Liaoning." Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 46(3): 365-372. (http://www.cqvip.com/qk/90074X/200703/25642898.html) [in Chinese]An enantiornitheanBoluochiaB. zhengi"Partial skull [and] partial postcranium.""Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 212.A longipterygidBrevirostruavisB. macrohyoideus"an extremely elongate bony hyoid element (only slightly shorter than the skull), combined with a short cranial rostrum."An enantiornithineCathayornisC. aberransisAn enantiornithineC. caudatusNomen dubiumC. yandica"Partial skeleton."An enantiornitheanCuspirostrisornisC. houiA possible avisauridDapingfangornisD. sentisorhinusAn enantiornitheanEocathayornisE. walkeri"Partial skeleton."An enantiornitheanGracilornisG. jiufotangensisAn enantiornitheanImparavisI. attenboroughiJianchangAn articulated, nearly complete specimenHuoshanornisH. hujiAn enantiornitheanLargirostrornisL. sexdentorisAn enantiornitheanLongchengornisL. sanyanensisAn enantiornitheanLongipteryxL. chaoyangensisA longipterygidMusivavisM. amabilis"A nearly complete and articulated skeleton preserved in a single slab."An euenantiornitheanPlumadracoP. bankoorum Near Xiaotaizi Village, Jianchang County A complete, articulated specimen preserved in a single slab primarily in dorsal aspect with feathers preserved around the head, body, wings, and tail A bohaiornithidRapaxavisR. paniA longipterygidShangyangS. gracilesAn enantiornitheanSinornisS. santensis"Partial skull [and] many nearly complete postcranial skeletons.""Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 214.An enantiornitheanXiangornisX. shenmiAn enantiornitheanYuanchuavisY. kompsosouraAn pengornithid
Euornithines Genus Species County Member Material Notes ImagesAberratiodontusA. wuiJunior synonym of Yanornis martiniChaoyangiaC. beishanensis"Partial skeleton."A basal euornitheanIteravisI. huchzermeyeri Multiple complete, articulated skeletonsA possible gansuid basal euornithean. Some authors consider Gansus zheni, another species named from the same locality, to be a junior synonym.JianchangornisJ. microdontaJianchangA basal euornitheanKunpengornis K. anhuimusei Jianchang A nearly complete and articulated skeleton A piscivorous euornitheanMengciusornisM. dentatusA schizoouridParahongshanornisP. chaoyangensisA hongshanornithidPiscivoravisP. liiAn ornithuromorphSchizoouraS. liiJianchangA schizoourid with long, forked tail feathersSimiliyanornisS. brevipectusAn ornithuromorphShuilingornisS. angelaiA gansuidSonglingornisS. linghensisAn ornithuromorphYanornisY. martiniAn ornithuromorphYixianornisY. grabaui A near complete skeletonAn ornithuromorphZhongjianornisZ. yangiA complete skeleton A basal euornithean
Non-ornithothoracean theropods
A large theropod tooth representing a distinct taxon from Sinotyrannus is known.
Genus Species County Member Material Notes ImagesChangzhousaurusC. sinensis JianchangA nearly complete skeleton with extensive plumage, preserved on a slab and counterslabA paravian of uncertain affinities derived from a pennaraptoranChongmingiaC. zhengi A partial skeleton with preserved soft tissuesA jinguofortisid avialanConfuciusornisC. sanctusA primitive short-tailed avialan (pygostylian). Also present in the Yixian FormationC. jianchangensisLiaoningCratonavisC. zhui JianchangA complete skeleton with preserved feathersA jinguofortisid avialanDalianraptorD. cuheNomen dubium, named from a forged artificially assembled specimen.JeholornisJ. primaA jeholornithiform avialan, also present in the Yixian FormationJ. palmapenisA jeholornithiform avialanKompsornisK. longicaudatus"Nearly complete specimen".A jeholornithiform avialanMicroraptorM. guiShangheshou BedExtremely commonCould be synonym of Microraptor zhaoianusM. zhaoianusShangheshou Bed"At least [three] partial semiarticulated postcrania and several skulls.""Table 10.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 198. Feathered integument is also preserved.A dromaeosaurid.NeimengornisN. rectusmimA jeholornithiform avialanOmnivoropteryxO. sinousaorumAn omnivoropterygiform avialanSapeornisS. angustis"Nearly complete skeleton without skull.""Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 216.An omnivoropterygiform, a primitive short-tailed avialanS. chaoyangensisShenshiornisShenshiornis primitaAn omnivoropterygiform avialanSimilicaudipteryxS. yixianensisAn oviraptorosaurSinotyrannusS. kazuoensisA tyrannosauroidWulongW. bohaiensisChaoyang, LiaoningComplete articulated skeleton (D2933).A dromaeosaurid
Crustaceans GenusSpeciesCountyMemberMaterialNotesImagesEosestheriaEosestheria middendorfiiShao, J. D., Tan, Q., Wang, H., Zhang, M., & He, H. Y. (2011). The Mesozoic strata and the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in the Daxinganling Region. Geology and Resources, 20(1), 4-11.A clam shrimp
Plants Genus Species County Member Material Notes ImagesCzekanowskiaC. rigidaPan, Y. Q., Gao, F. L., Zhang, G. R., Wang, X., & Wu, Z. J. (2015). New discovery of phytolith from Jiufotang formation in Xiaotaizi area, Liaoning Province. Geol Resources, 24, 87-92.A member of Czekanowskiales, DominantGinkgoG. digitataA member of GinkgoalesElatocladusE. pinnatusConifer foliagePityolepisP. ovatusConifer coneLeptostrobusL. sinensisA member of Czekanowksiales, occasionally misspelled "Leptosthrobus"Baiera B. validaA member of GinkgoalesB. cf. gracilisGinkgoitesG. trancataA member of Ginkgoales, dominantG. trancatusPodozamitesP. sp.Conifer foliageSphenopterisS. sp.Seed plant foliage
See also Yixian Formation List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
References
Further reading