The Jialingjiang Formation (嘉陵江组) is a geologic feature associated with the Sichuan Basin of China, generally underlying the area of the basin, with its origins dating to the Early Triassic period of geologic time, around 249 million years ago. The Jialingjiang Formation is a geologic group feature upon the Yangtze Plate, which is a tectonic feature of the Earth's crust.
The Jialingjiang Formation is important to paleontologists or other people interested in ancient life forms due to the fossil evidence incorporated therein (such as for Eretmorhipis and other Ichthyosaur relatives). Also, scientific study of this formation group provides insight into Late Triassic tectonic inversion based on analysis of detrital zircon U–Pb chronology (involving the element uranium converting to lead over time due to radioactive decay). The Jialingjiang Formation is also of interest in history as it has been a source for humans to extract valuable economic goods such as salt and natural gas for many centuries.[Late Triassic tectonic inversion in the upper Yangtze Block: insights from1 detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10037981/1/br_manuscript.pdf]
Hydrocarbon resources The history of the Jialingjiang Formation explains the origins of the hydrocarbon resources which have historically or in the future may be extracted. The primary hydrocarbon resource of the Sichuan Basin is natural gas. Fossil contents
Invertebrates Invertebrates of the Jialingjiang FormationGenusSpeciesLocalityMaterialNotesImagesClaraiaC. sp. Longmendong, Sichuan A specimen A bivalve scallopEntolium E. discites microtis PromysidiellaP. eduliformis praecursor LiuzhiniaM. Wei. 1981. Early and Middle Triassic ostracods from Sichuan. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 20(6):501-507 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham] L. parva Longmendong, Sichuan Several specimen A bairdiidae ostracod L. subovataL. reniformisMyophoriaM. ovata A bivalve molluskPteria C. Xu. 1978. Lamellibranchiata. Palaeontological Atlas of Southwest China - Sichuan Volume 2:315-364P. cf. murchisoni Longmendong, Sichuan A bivalve mollusk
Vertebrates
Reptiles Reptiles of the Jialingjiang FormationGenusSpeciesLocalityMaterialNotesImagesChaohusaurusCHEN Xiaohong, P. Martin SANDER, CHENG Long, WANG Xiaofeng.2013. A New Triassic Primitive Ichthyosaur from Yuanan, South China[J]. Acta Geologica Sinica(),87(3):672-677 C. zhangjiawanensis Yuanan, HubeiA relatively complete skeleton with skull and another skeleton lacking the skull. An IchthyosauriformChusaurusLiu, Q. L., Cheng, L., Stubbs, T. L., Moon, B. C., Benton, M. J., Yan, C. B., & Tian, L. (2023). Rapid neck elongation in Sauropterygia (Reptilia: Diapsida) revealed by a new basal pachypleurosaur from the Lower Triassic of China. BMC ecology and evolution, 23(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-023-02150-wC. xiangensis Songshugou Village, Hubei A nearly complete skeleton lacking some cranial and cervical vertebral elements A pachypleurosaurian nothosaurEohupehsuchusCHEN Xiaohong, P. Martin SANDER, CHENG Long, WANG Xiaofeng.2013. A New Triassic Primitive Ichthyosaur from Yuanan, South China[J]. Acta Geologica Sinica(),87(3):672-677E. brevicollis Yangping, Hubei A skeleton An aquatic short-necked hupehsuchia reptileEretmorhipisCheng, Long; Motani, Ryosuke; Jiang, Da-Yong; Yan, Chun-bo; Tintori, Andrea; Rieppel, Olivier (2019). "Early Triassic marine reptile representing the oldest record of unusually small eyes in reptiles, indicating non-visual prey detection". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 152. Bibcode:2019NatSR...9..152C. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-37754-6. PMC 6345829. PMID 30679783. E. carrolldongi Yuan'an County, Hubei Multiple partially preserved skeletons A marine hupehsuchian reptileHanosaurusH. hupehensis Sonshugo locality and Yingzishan locality, Hubei A partial skeleton A marine reptileHupehsuchusX.-C. Wu, L.-J. Zhao, and T. Sato, S.-X. Gu, X.-S. Jin. 2016. A new specimen of Hupehsuchus nanchangensis Young, 1972 (Diapsida, Hupehsuchia) from the Triassic of Hubei, China. Historical Biology 28(1-2):43-52H. nanchangensis Quarry near Minfeng, Hubei A skeleton A hupehsuchian marine reptileKeichousaurusC.-C. Young. 1965. On the new nothosaurs from Hupeh and Kweichou, China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 9(4):337-356K. yuananensis Yingzishan Hill Quarry, Yichang A partial skeleton A pachypleurosaurian reptileLariosaurusL. sanxiaensis Yingzishan Hill Quarry, Yichang A holotype specimen consists of a skeleton A nothosaurLentamanusuchusL. hubeiensis Yingzishan Quarry, Yuan'an, Hubei A partial articulated skeleton A hupehsuchian ichthyosauromorphNanchangosaurusChen, X. H., Motani, R., Cheng, L., Jiang, D. Y., & Rieppel, O. (2014). A small short-necked hupehsuchian from the lower Triassic of Hubei Province, China. PloS one, 9(12), e115244. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0115244N. suni Yangping, Yuan'an County, Hubei A skeletonA hupehsuchian marine reptileParahupehsuchusChen, X. H., Motani, R., Cheng, L., Jiang, D. Y., & Rieppel, O. (2014). A carapace-like bony 'body tube' in an early triassic marine reptile and the onset of marine tetrapod predation. PloS one, 9(4), e94396. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094396P. longusYuan'an County, HubeiA partial skeletonA hupehsuchian marine reptilePomolispondylusP. bianiYingzishan Hill Quarry, Yichang A partial skeletonA sauropterygian reptileProsaurosphargisA. S. Wolniewicz, Y. Shen, Q. Li, Y. Sun, Y. Qiao, Y. Chen, Y.-W. Hu and J. Liu. 2023. An armoured marine reptile from the Early Triassic of South China and its phylogenetic and evolutionary implications. eLife 12(e83163)P. yingzishanensis Yingzishan quarry, Hubei A partial skeleton A marine saurosphargid reptile
Fish Fish of the Jialingjiang FormationGenusSpeciesLocalityMaterialNotesImagesSaurichthysS. sp. Yuan'an County, Hubei A saurichthyid saurichthyiform
See also 2020 in reptile paleontology Guanling Formation Hupehsuchia Zigong Salt History Museum
References