Bayan Mandahu Formation

{{Short description|Geological formation in China}}

{{redirect|Wulansuhai Formation|the Turonian formation|Ulansuhai Formation}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Bayan Mandahu Formation

| image =File:Mass_grave_of_juvenile_dinosaurs_-_Bayanmanduhu,_Gobi_Desert,_1988.jpg

| caption =

| type = Geological formation

| age = Campanian, {{fossilrange|75|71|earliest=84}}

| period = Campanian

| prilithology = Sandstone

| otherlithology =

| namedfor = Bayan Mandahu, Urad Rear Banner, Inner Mongolia

| namedby =

| region = Inner Mongolia

| country = {{flag|China}}

| coordinates = 41.75N 106.75E

| unitof = Gobi Desert

| subunits =

| underlies =

| overlies =

| thickness =

| extent =

| area =

| map =

| map_caption =

}}

The Bayan Mandahu Formation (also known as Wulansuhai Formation or Wuliangsuhai Formation) is a geological unit of "redbeds" located near the village of Bayan Mandahu in Inner Mongolia, China, in the Gobi Desert. It dates from the late Cretaceous Period. Laid down in the Campanian, it is dated somewhat uncertainly to between 75 and 71 mya (million years ago).{{cite journal |last=Godefroit |first=Pascal |author2=Currie, Philip J. |author3=Li Hong |author4=Shang Chang Yong |author5= Dong Zhi-ming |year=2008 |title=A new species of Velociraptor (Dinosauria: Dromaeosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of northern China |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=432–438 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2008)28[432:ANSOVD]2.0.CO;2}}

Description

The paleoenvironment it preserves was semi-arid and characterized by alluvial (stream-deposited) and eolian (wind-deposited) sediments. The formation is known for its vertebrate fossils, most of which are preserved in unstructured sandstone, indicating burial by wind-blown sandstorms.{{cite journal|last1=Jerzykiewicz|first1=T.|last2=Currie|first2=P. J.|last3=Eberth|first3=D. A.|last4=Johnston|first4=P. A.|last5=Koster|first5=E. H.|last6=Zheng|first6=J.-J.|date=1993|title=Djadokhta Formation correlative strata in Chinese Inner Mongolia: an overview of the stratigraphy, sedimentary geology, and paleontology and comparisons with the type locality in the pre-Altai Gobi|journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences|volume=30|number=10|pages=2180−2195|bibcode=1993CaJES..30.2180J|doi=10.1139/e93-190|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237174446}}

Paleofauna of the Bayan Mandahu Formation

The fauna of the Bayan Mandahu is very similar in composition to the nearby Djadochta Formation, and the two may have been deposited at roughly the same time. These two formations share many of the same genera, but differ in the makeup of species. For example, the most common mammal in the Djadochta is Kryptobaatar dashzevegi, while in the Bayan Mandahu, it is the closely related Kryptobaatar mandahuensis. Similarly, the dinosaur fauna of the Djadochta includes Protoceratops andrewsi and Velociraptor mongoliensis, while the Bayan Mandahu contains Protoceratops hellenikorhinus and Velociraptor osmolskae.

{{Paleobiota-key-compact}}

= Crocodylomorphs =

class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%"
colspan="7" align="center" |Crocodylomorphs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Material

! Notes

! Images

Shamosuchus

|

|

|

| A mesoeucrocodylian.

|

= Lizards =

An amphisbaenian species is known from the formation. An iguanian species is known from the formation.

class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%"
colspan="7" align="center" |Lizards of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Material

! Notes

! Images

Adamisaurus

| A. magnidentatus

|

|

| An agamid.

|

Bainguis

|

|

|

| A diploglossan.

|

Telmasaurus

|

|

|

| A monitor lizard.

|

= Turtles =

class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%"
colspan="7" align="center" |Turtles of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Material

! Notes

! Images

Basilemys

|

|

|

| A softshell turtle.

|

"Zangerlia"

| "Z." neimongolensis

| Bayan Mandahu

| "Partial to complete skeletons of multiple individuals."{{cite journal|last1=Brinkman|first1=D. B.|last2=Tong|first2=H.-Y.|last3=Li|first3=H.|last4=Sun|first4=Y.|last5=Zhang|first5=J.-S.|last6=Godefroit|first6=P.|last7=Zhang|first7=Z.-M.|date=2015|title=New exceptionally well-preserved specimens of "Zangerlia" neimongolensis from Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, and their taxonomic significance|journal=Comptes Rendus Palevol|volume=14|issue=6–7|pages=577−587|doi=10.1016/j.crpv.2014.12.005|doi-access=free|bibcode=2015CRPal..14..577B }}

| A nanhsiungchelyid.

| 200px

= Mammals =

A taeniolabidoidea multituberculate is known from the formation.

class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%"
colspan="7" align="center" |Mammals of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Material

! Notes

! Images

Guibaatar{{cite journal |author1=John R. Wible |author2=Sarah L. Shelley |author3=Shundong Bi |year=2019 |title=New Genus and Species of Djadochtatheriid Multituberculate (Allotheria, Mammalia) from the Upper Cretaceous Bayan Mandahu Formation of Inner Mongolia |journal=Annals of Carnegie Museum |volume=85 |issue=4 |pages=285–327 |doi=10.2992/007.085.0401 |s2cid=210840006 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338202993}}

| G. castellanus

|

|

| A djadochtatheriid multituberculate.

|

Kennalestes

| K. gobiensis

|

|

| A placental. Also present in the Djadochta Formation.

|

Kryptobaatar

| K. mandahuensis

|

|

| A multituberculate.

|

=Dinosaurs=

==Alvarezsaurs==

class="wikitable sortable"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
Alvarezsauridae indet.

| Indeterminate

| Bayan Mandahu

| An articulated series of partial anterior cervical vertebrae, an anterior cervical vertebra, isolated fragmentary anterior caudal vertebrae, a partial scapula, and pedal phalanges.{{cite journal|last1=Pittman|first1=M.|last2=Xu|first2=X.|last3=Stiegler|first3=J. B.|date=2015|title=The taxonomy of a new parvicursorine alvarezsauroid specimen IVPP V20341 (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, China|journal=PeerJ|volume=3|pages=e986|doi=10.7717/peerj.986|doi-access=free|pmc=4465946|pmid=26082871}}

| An unnamed parvicursorine alvarezsaurid.

| 200px

Linhenykus

| L. monodactylus

| Wuliangsuhai

| Cervical vertebrae, dorsal vertebrae, sacral vertebrae, caudal vertebrae, a scapulocoracoid, a sternum, much of the forelimbs, a partial pelvis, nearly complete hindlimbs, and some unidentified fragments.{{cite journal |last=Xu |first=Xing |author2=Sullivan, Corwin |author3=Pittman, Michael |author4=Choiniere, Jonah N. |author5=Hone, David W.E. |author6=Upchurch, Paul |author7=Tan, Qingwei |author8=Xiao, Dong |author9= Lin, Tan |author10= Han Fenglu |year=2011 |title=A monodactyl nonavian dinosaur and the complex evolution of the alvarezsauroid hand |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=108 |issue=6 |pages=2338–2342 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1011052108 |pmid=21262806 |pmc=3038769|bibcode=2011PNAS..108.2338X |doi-access=free }}

| A monodactyl parvicursorine alvarezsaurid.

| File:Linhenykus monodactylus cropped.jpg

==Ankylosaurs==

class="wikitable sortable"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
rowspan="2" |Pinacosaurus

| P. grangeri

| Bayan Mandahu

| [Four] juvenile specimens consisting of skulls, manidibles, cervical half-rings and almost complete skeletons, and an incomplete subadult skull.{{cite journal|last1=Burns|first1=Michael|last2=Arbour|first2=Victoria|last3=Sissons|first3=Robin|last4=Currie|first4=Philip|title=Juvenile specimens of Pinacosaurus grangeri Gilmore, 1933 (Ornithischia: Ankylosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of China, with comments on the specific taxonomy of Pinacosaurus|journal=Cretaceous Research|date=2011|volume=32|issue=2011|pages=174–186|doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2010.11.007|bibcode=2011CrRes..32..174B }}

| A basal ankylosaurine ankylosaurid also known from the Djadochta Formation.

| File:Pinacosaurus Jack Wood 2017 flipped transparent.png

P. mephistocephalus

| Bayan Mandahu

| A nearly complete articulated skeleton, with in situ cervical dermal armour and tail-club, that lies in a natural with limb bones doubled under the body.{{cite journal|last1=Godefroit|first1=P.|last2=Pereda-Suberbiola|first2=X.|last3=Li|first3=H.|last4=Dong|first4=Z. M.|date=1999|title=A new species of the ankylosaurid dinosaur Pinacosaurus from the Late Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia (P.R. China)|journal=Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre|volume=69|issue=supp. B|pages=17–36|url=http://biblio.naturalsciences.be/rbins-publications/bulletin-of-the-royal-belgian-institute-of-natural-sciences-earth-sciences/69-sup-b-1999/bulletin69supb-article2.pdf}}

| A basal ankylosaurine ankylosaurid.

| File:PinacosaurusDB154.jpg

==Birds==

class="wikitable sortable"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
cf. Gobipteryx

| Indeterminate

|

| "Eggs similar to those attributed to Gobipteryx minuta from the Djadochta Formation."

|

|

== Ceratopsians ==

class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Material

! Notes

! Images

Bagaceratops

| B. rozhdestvenskyi

| Bayan Mandahu

| A partial skull.{{cite journal|last1=Czepiński|first1=Ł.|date=2019|title=Ontogeny and variation of a protoceratopsid dinosaur Bagaceratops rozhdestvenskyi from the Late Cretaceous of the Gobi Desert|url=http://dinosaurmailinglist.cmnh.org/2019Apr/pdfzmfpMk1aO4.pdf|journal=Historical Biology|volume=32|issue=10|pages=1394–1421|doi=10.1080/08912963.2019.1593404|s2cid=132780322|access-date=2021-03-03|archive-date=2021-07-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708144840/http://dinosaurmailinglist.cmnh.org/2019Apr/pdfzmfpMk1aO4.pdf|url-status=dead}}

| A protoceratopsid also known from the Barun Goyot Formation and possibly the Djadochta Formation.

| 200px

style="background:#e6e6e6;" | Magnirostris

|style="background:#e6e6e6;" | M. dodsoni

|style="background:#e6e6e6;" | Bayan Mandahu

|style="background:#e6e6e6;" | A partial skull.

|style="background:#e6e6e6;" | A protoceratopsid now considered synonym of Bagaceratops.

|style="background:#e6e6e6;" |

Protoceratops

| P. hellenikorhinus

| Bayan Mandahu

| Skulls and sparse body remains from multiple individuals.{{cite journal| vauthors = Chen X, Tan K, Lu L, Ji S |title=Occurrence of Protoceratops hellenikorhinus (Ceratopsia: Protoceratopsidae) in Alxa region, western Inner Mongolia, China |year=2022 |journal=Acta Geologica Sinica |volume=96 |issue=11 |pages=3722–3732 |doi=10.19762/j.cnki.dizhixuebao.2022302 |url= http://www.geojournals.cn/dzxb/ch/reader/view_abstract.aspx?file_no=2022427}}{{cite journal|last1=Lambert|first1=O.|last2=Godefroit|first2=P.|last3=Li|first3=H.|last4=Shang|first4=C.-Y.|last5=Dong|first5=Z.|date=2001|title=A new Species of Protoceratops (Dinosauria, Neoceratopsia) from the Late Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia (P. R. China)|journal=Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre|volume=71|pages=5−28|url=http://biblio.naturalsciences.be/rbins-publications/bulletin-of-the-royal-belgian-institute-of-natural-sciences-earth-sciences/71-sup-2001/irscnb_p4087_01ec08x_71-sup_bulletin-1.pdf}}

| A protoceratopsid.

| File:Protoceratops hellenikorhinus Restoration.png

style="background:#f3e9f3;" | Udanoceratops?

|style="background:#f3e9f3;" | Indeterminate

|style="background:#f3e9f3;" | Bayan Mandahu

|style="background:#f3e9f3;" | "Nearly 1 meter long skull."

|style="background:#f3e9f3;" | A giant leptoceratopsid. Reported remains probably represent Protoceratops hellenikorhinus.{{cite journal|last1=Czepiński|first1=Ł.|date=2020|title=New protoceratopsid specimens improve the age correlation of the Upper Cretaceous Gobi Desert strata|journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica|volume=65|issue=3|pages=481−497|doi=10.4202/app.00701.2019|doi-access=free|url=http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app65/app007012019.pdf}}

|style="background:#f3e9f3;" |

==Dromaeosaurs==

class="wikitable sortable"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
Linheraptor

| L. exquisitus{{Cite journal|last1=Xu|first1=Xing|last2=Choiniere|first2=Jonah N.|last3=Pittman|first3=Michael|last4=Tan|first4=Qingwei|last5=Xiao|first5=Dong|last6=Li|first6=Zhiquan|last7=Tan|first7=Lin|last8=Clark|first8=James M.|last9=Norell|first9=Mark A.|last10=Hone|first10=David W. E.|last11=Sullivan|first11=Corwin|date=2010-03-19|title=A new dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Inner Mongolia, China|journal=Zootaxa|language=en|volume=2403|issue=1|pages=1–9|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.2403.1.1|issn=1175-5334|hdl=10722/154755|s2cid=15665202|hdl-access=free}}

| Wuliangsuhai

| A skull, cervical vertebrae, caudal vertebrae, a scapula, a humerus, a radius, metacarpals, manual phalanxes, sternal plate, a pubis, a femur, a tibiotarsus, metatarsals, and pedal phalanxes.

| A possible velociraptorine dromaeosaurid.

| File:Linheraptor exquisitus.jpg

Velociraptor

| V. osmolskae{{cite journal |last1=Godefroit |first1=Pascal |last2=Currie |first2=Philip J. |last3=Li |first3=Hong |last4=Shang |first4=Chang Yong |last5=Dong |first5=Zhi-ming |year=2008 |title=A new species of Velociraptor (Dinosauria: Dromaeosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of northern China |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=432–438 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2008)28[432:ANSOVD]2.0.CO;2}}

| Bayan Mandahu

| A paired maxillae and left lacrimal.

| A velociraptorine dromaeosaurid.

| File:Velociraptor Restoration.png

==Hadrosaurs==

class="wikitable sortable"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
Undescribed Hadrosauridae{{cite journal|author1=Nicholas R. Longrich |author2=Philip J. Currie |author3=Dong Zhi-Ming |year=2010 |title=A new oviraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia |journal=Palaeontology |volume=53 |issue=5 |pages=945–960 |doi=10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00968.x|doi-access=free |bibcode=2010Palgy..53..945L }}

| Indeterminate

| Bayan Mandahu

|

| A hadrosaurid.

|

==Oviraptorosaurs==

class="wikitable sortable"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
Machairasaurus

| M. leptonychus

| Bayan Mandahu

| A nearly complete articulated right forearm and manus, pedal phalanges, manual phalanges, caudal vertebrae, dorsal ribs, chevrons, and fragments of metatarsals III and IV.

| A heyuanniine oviraptorid.

| File:Machairasaurus.jpg

Oviraptoridae indet.

| Indeterminate

| Bayan Mandahu

| "Partial individual sitting atop an egg clutch."{{cite journal|last1=Dong|first1=Z.|last2=Currie|first2=P. J.|date=1996|title=On the discovery of an oviraptorid skeleton on a nest of eggs at Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China|journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences|volume=33|issue=4|pages=631−636|bibcode=1996CaJES..33..631D|doi=10.1139/e96-046}}

| An oviraptorid that represent the second nesting oviraptorid. Sometimes referred to Machairasaurus.{{cite journal|last1=Fanti|first1=F.|last2=Currie|first2=P. J.|last3=Badamgarav|first3=D.|last4=Lalueza-Fox|first4=C.|date=2012|title=New specimens of Nemegtomaia from the Baruungoyot and Nemegt Formations (Late Cretaceous) of Mongolia|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=7|issue=2|pages=e31330|bibcode=2012PLoSO...731330F|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0031330|doi-access=free|pmc=3275628|pmid=22347465}}

|

Wulatelong

| W. gobiensis{{Cite journal|author=Xu Xing|author2=Tan Qing-Wei|author3=Wang Shuo|author4=Corwin Sullivan|author5=David W. E. Hone|author6=Han Feng-Lu|author7=Ma Qing-Yu|author8=Tan Lin|author9=Xiao Dong|name-list-style=amp |year=2013 |title=A new oviraptorid from the Upper Cretaceous of Nei Mongol, China, and its stratigraphic implications |journal=Vertebrata PalAsiatica |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=85–101 |url=http://www.ivpp.cas.cn/cbw/gjzdwxb/xbwzxz/201305/P020130507385115746165.pdf }}

| Wuliangsuhai

| A partial skull, dorsal vertebrae, caudal vertebrae, partial scapulocoracoids, a partial sternum, a partial humerus, an incomplete manus, a nearly complete pelvic girdle, and the right hindlimb.

| A basal oviraptorid oviraptorosaur.

|

==Sauropods==

class="wikitable sortable"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
Undescribed Sauropoda

| Indeterminate

| Bayan Mandahu

|

| A sauropod.

|

==Troodontids==

class="wikitable sortable"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
Linhevenator{{Cite journal|last1=Xu|first1=Xing|last2=Tan|first2=Qingwei|last3=Sullivan|first3=Corwin|last4=Han|first4=Fenglu|last5=Xiao|first5=Dong|date=2011-09-07|title=A Short-Armed Troodontid Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia and Its Implications for Troodontid Evolution|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=6|issue=9|pages=e22916|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0022916|issn=1932-6203|pmc=3168428|pmid=21915256|bibcode=2011PLoSO...622916X|doi-access=free}}

| L. tani

| Wuliangsuhai

|A skull and mandible, anterior dorsal vertebrae, middle dorsal vertebrae, a scapula, a humerus, incomplete ischia, a femur, nearly complete pes, and other fragmentary bones.

| A troodontid with short forearms.

| File:Linhevenator Reconstruction.png

Papiliovenator

| P. neimengguensis

| Bayan Mandahu

| An almost complete skull, cervical vertebrae, anterior dorsal vertebrae, partial scapulae, partial coracoid, fragmentary pelvic girdle, partial humeri, ulna, radius, partial manus, femur, tibia, fibula, pes, and a pedal phalanx II-3.{{cite journal |last1=Pei |first1=R. |last2=Qin |first2=Yuying |last3=Wen |first3=Aishu |last4=Zhao |first4=Q. |last5=Wang |first5=Z. |last6=Liu |first6=Z. |last7=Guo |first7=W. |last8=Liu |first8=P. |last9=Ye |first9=W. |last10=Wang |first10=L. |last11=Yin |first11=Z. |last12=Dai |first12=R. |last13=Xu|first13=X. |year=2021 |title=A New Troodontid from the Upper Cretaceous Gobi Basin of Inner Mongolia, China |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=130 |pages=Article 105052 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2021.105052|s2cid=244186762 }}

| A troodontid that is part of a clade that includes all other Late Cretaceous troodontids except Almas.

| File:Papiliovenator Life Restoration.png

Philovenator

| P. curriei{{cite journal |author1=Xu Xing |author2=Zhao Ji |author3=Corwin Sullivan |author4=Tan Qing-Wei |author5=Martin Sander |author6=Ma Qing-Yu |year=2012 |title=The taxonomy of the troodontid IVPP V 10597 reconsidered |journal=Vertebrata PalAsiatica |volume=50 |issue=2 |pages=140–150 |url=http://www.ivpp.cas.cn/cbw/gjzdwxb/xbwzxz/201204/P020120423369968204026.pdf}}

| Wuliangsuhai

|A nearly complete femur, a partial tibia, a partial fibula, astragalus-calcaneum complex, distal tarsals, metatarsals, and pedal phalanges.

| A troodontid.

| File:Philovenator curriei life restoration..png

==Tyrannosaurs==

class="wikitable sortable"
GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
Undescribed Tyrannosauridae

| Indeterminate

| Bayan Mandahu

|

| A tyrannosaurid.

|

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

= Bibliography =

  • {{citation |last1=Weishampel |first1=David B. |author2-link=Peter Dodson |last2=Dodson |first2=Peter |author3-link=Halszka Osmólska |last3=Osmólska |first3=Halszka |year=2004 |title=The Dinosauria, 2nd edition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtZFDb_iw40C |publisher=Berkeley: University of California Press |pages=1–880 |accessdate=2019-02-21 |isbn=0-520-24209-2 |author1-link=David B. Weishampel }}

{{coord missing|Inner Mongolia}}

Category:Geologic formations of China

Category:Upper Cretaceous Series of Asia

Category:Campanian Stage

Category:Sandstone formations

Category:Aeolian deposits

Category:Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of Asia

Category:Paleontology in Inner Mongolia