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Gaogou Formation

{{Short description|Geological formation in China}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Gaogou Formation

| image = File:Zhang_Fengchen_at_Baby_Louie_locality.png

| caption = Zhang Fengchen at the Gaogou Formation

| type = Geological formation

| age = Cenomanian-Coniacian
~{{fossil range|96|88}}

| period = Turonian

| prilithology = Conglomerate

| otherlithology = Mudstone

| namedfor =

| namedby =

| region = Henan Province

| country = China

| coordinates = {{coord|33.4|N|112.9|E|display=inline,title}}

| paleocoordinates = {{coord|32.7|N|104.7|E|display=inline}}

| unitof =

| subunits = Upper Member, Lower Member

| underlies = Majiacun Formation

| overlies = Baiwan Formation

| thickness =

| extent = Xixia Basin

| area =

| map = {{Location map+ | China#China Henan

| relief = 1

| width = 250

| float = center

| places =

{{Location map~ | China#China Henan

| lat_deg = 33.4

| lon_deg = 112.9

| mark = Lightgreen pog.svg

| marksize = 8

}}

{{Location map~ | China#China Henan

| lat_deg = 33.3

| lon_deg = 111.7

| mark = Lightgreen pog.svg

| marksize = 8

}}

{{Location map~ | China#China Henan

| lat_deg = 33.3

| lon_deg = 111.4

| mark = Lightgreen pog.svg

| marksize = 8

}}

{{Location map~ | China#China Henan

| lat_deg = 33.2

| lon_deg = 111.8

| mark = Lightgreen pog.svg

| marksize = 8

}}

}}

| map_caption =

}}

The Gaogou Formation is a fossiliferous geological formation located in the Xixia Basin of China. The formation dates back to the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Coniacian) and fossilized eggs of dinosaurs and turtles are commonly reported from the formation. Dinosaur taxa are also reported from the unit.

Paleobiota of the Gaogou Formation

{{Paleobiota-key-compact}}

=Dinosaurs=

class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Stratigraphic Position

! Material

! Notes

! Images

Baotianmansaurus

| B. henanensis

| Neixiang

|

| "Partial vertebrae and scapula."{{cite journal|last1=Zhang|first1=X.|last2=Lü|first2=J.|last3=Xu|first3=L.|last4=Li|first4=J.|last5=Yang|first5=L.|last6=Hu|first6=W.|last7=Jia|first7=S.|last8=Ji|first8=Q.|last9=Zhang|first9=C.|date=2009|title=A New Sauropod Dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Gaogou Formation of Nanyang, Henan Province|journal=Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition)|volume=83|issue=2|pages=212|doi=10.1111/j.1755-6724.2009.00032.x|bibcode=2009AcGlS..83..212Z |s2cid=129422997 }}

| A titanosauriform.

|

Beibeilong

| B. sinensis

| Heimaogou

|

| "Embryonic skeleton with associated partial nest."{{cite journal|last1=Pu|first1=H.|last2=Zelenitsky|first2=D. K.|last3=Lü|first3=J.|last4=Currie|first4=P. J.|last5=Carpenter|first5=K.|last6=Xu|first6=L.|last7=Koppelhus|first7=E. B.|last8=Jia|first8=S.|last9=Xiao|first9=L.|last10=Chuang|first10=H.|last11=Li|first11=T.|last12=Kundrát|first12=M.|last13=Shen|first13=C.|date=2017|title=Perinate and eggs of a giant caenagnathid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of central China|journal=Nature Communications|volume=8|number=14952|page=14952 |doi=10.1038/ncomms14952|doi-access=free|pmc=5477524|pmid=28486442|bibcode=2017NatCo...814952P }}

| A large caenagnathid.

| 200px

=Eggs=

class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Stratigraphic Position

! Material

! Notes

! Images

rowspan="2"; style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Dendroolithus

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | D. xichuanensis

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Xichuan

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Eggshell fragments and collapsed eggs."{{cite journal|last1=Liang|first1=X.|last2=Wen|first2=S.|last3=Yang|first3=D.|last4=Zhou|first4=S.|last5=Wu|first5=S.|date=2009|title=Dinosaur eggs and dinosaur egg-bearing deposits (Upper Cretaceous) of Henan Province, China: Occurrences, palaeoenvironments, taphonomy and preservation|journal=Progress in Natural Science|volume=19|issue=11|pages=1587−1601|doi=10.1016/j.pnsc.2009.06.012|doi-access=free|bibcode=2009PNSMI..19.1587L }}

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Dendroolithid eggs laid by ornithopods, sauropod or theropods.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Indeterminate

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Xixia

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Intact eggs and egg clutches."

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Dendroolithid eggs laid by ornithopods, sauropod or theropods.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | 200px

style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Dictyoolithus

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | D. neixiangensis

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Xixia

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Dictyoolithid eggs.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Faveoloolithus

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Indeterminate

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Nanxiang

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Single egg."

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Faveoloolithid egg.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

rowspan="2"; style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Macroelongatoolithus

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | M. xixiaensis

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Heimaogou

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Partial nest of 6-8 eggs, and eggshell fragments."

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Elongatoolithid eggs laid by Beibeilong.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | 200px

style="background:#e3f5ff;" | M. xixiaensis

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Neixiang, Xixia

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Isolated eggs and complete egg clutches."

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Elongatoolithid eggs laid by caenagnathids.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | 200px

style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Neixiangoolithus

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | N. yani

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Neixiang

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Multiple egg clutches."{{cite journal|last1=Xu|first1=L.|last2=Xie|first2=J.|last3=Zhang|first3=S.|last4=Choi|first4=S.|last5=Kim|first5=N.-H.|last6=Gao|first6=D.|last7=Jin|first7=X.|last8=Jia|first8=S.|last9=Gao|first9=Y.|date=2022|title=Fossil turtle eggs from the Upper Cretaceous Gaogou Formation, Xiaguan-Gaoqiu Basin, Neixiang County, Henan Province, China: Interpretation of the transformation from aragonite to calcite in fossil turtle eggshell|journal=Cretaceous Research|volume=134|page=105166 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105166|bibcode=2022CrRes.13405166X |s2cid=246627436 }}

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Testudoolithid eggs laid by a turtle.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Paraspheroolithus

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | P. cf. irenensis

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Xixia

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Complete egg clutches."

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Spheroolithid eggs.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Placoolithus

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | P. tumiaolingensis

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Yunxian

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Several eggs and egg clutches."{{cite journal|last1=Zhang|first1=S.|last2=Yang|first2=T.-R.|last3=Li|first3=Z.|last4=Hu|first4=Y.|date=2018|title=New dinosaur egg material from Yunxian, Hubei Province, China resolves the classification of dendroolithid eggs|journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica|volume=63|issue=4|pages=671−678|doi=10.4202/app.00523.2018|doi-access=free|url=https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app63/app005232018.pdf}}

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Dendroolithid eggs laid by ornithopods, sauropod or theropods.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Prismatoolithus

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | P. gebiensis

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Neixiang, Xixia

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Several egg clutches."

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Prismatoolithid eggs laid by troodontids.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | 200px

style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Youngoolithus

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Y. xiaguanensis

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Xixia

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | "Clutch with 4 eggs."

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" | Youngoolithid eggs.

|style="background:#e3f5ff;" |

=Flora=

class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Stratigraphic Position

! Material

! Notes

! Images

Araucariaceae indet.

| Indeterminate

| Xixia

|

| "Amber pieces."{{cite journal|last1=Shi|first1=G.|last2=Dutta|first2=S.|last3=Paul|first3=S.|last4=Wang|first4=B.|last5=Jacques|first5=F. M. B.|date=2014|title=Terpenoid Compositions and Botanical Origins of Late Cretaceous and Miocene Amber from China|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=9|issue=10|pages=e111303|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0111303|doi-access=free|pmc=4213060|pmid=25354364|bibcode=2014PLoSO...9k1303S }}

| A conifer.

| 200px

style="background:#fef6e4;" | Plantae indet.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Indeterminate

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Upper Member

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | "Rhizoliths."{{cite journal|last1=Wang|first1=C.-Z.|last2=Wang|first2=J.|last3=Hu|first3=B.|last4=Lu|first4=X.-H.|date=2016|title=Trace fossils and sedimentary environments of the upper cretaceous in the Xixia Basin, Southwestern Henan Province, China|journal=Geodinamica Acta|volume=28|issue=1–2|pages=53−70|doi=10.1080/09853111.2015.1065307|doi-access=|bibcode=2016GeoAc..28...53W }}

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Root traces.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

=Invertebrates=

class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Stratigraphic Position

! Material

! Notes

! Images

rowspan="3"; style="background:#fef6e4;" | Beaconites

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | B. antarcticus

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Upper Member

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | "Horizontal-overtical, straight to slightly curved, single, lined, meniscate burrows."

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Invertebrate traces.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

style="background:#fef6e4;" | B. capronus

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Upper Member

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | "Horizontal to vertical, straight to slightly curved, lined, unbranched burrows."

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Invertebrate traces.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

style="background:#fef6e4;" | B. coronus

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Upper Member

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | "Mostly horizontal to vertical, meniscate burrows."

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Invertebrate traces.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

style="background:#fef6e4;" | Gastruichnus

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | G. xixiaensis

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Upper Member

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | "Large, high dipping, slightly curved and unbranched burrow."

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Traces made by molluscs.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

rowspan="2"; style="background:#fef6e4;" | Palaeophycus

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | P. heberti

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Upper Member

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | "Straight to curved, horizontal to vertical, unbranched and lined burrows."

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Invertebrate traces.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

style="background:#fef6e4;" | P. megas

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Upper Member

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | "Curved, horizontal to vertical, unbranched and lined burrows."

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Invertebrate traces.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

rowspan="2"; style="background:#fef6e4;" | Skolithos

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | S. linearis

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | "Cylindrical burrows."

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Invertebrate traces.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

style="background:#fef6e4;" | S. magnus

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Not specified.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | "Cylindrical to subcylindrical, vertical and slightly curved burrows."

|style="background:#fef6e4;" | Invertebrate traces.

|style="background:#fef6e4;" |

=Turtles=

class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus

! Species

! Location

! Stratigraphic Position

! Material

! Notes

! Images

Yuchelys

| Y. nanyangensis

| Neixiang

|

| "Partial skeleton with carapace."{{cite journal|last1=Tong|first1=H.|last2=Xu|first2=L.|last3=Buffetaut|first3=E.|last4=Zhang|first4=X.|last5=Jia|first5=S.|date=2012|title=A new nanhsiungchelyid turtle from the Late Cretaceous of Neixiang, Henan Province, China|journal=Annales de Paléontologie|volume=98|issue=4|pages=303–314|doi=10.1016/j.annpal.2012.08.001|bibcode=2012AnPal..98..303T }}

| A nanhsiungchelyid.

|

See also

{{Portal|Dinosaurs}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Category:Upper Cretaceous Series of Asia

Category:Cretaceous China

Category:Cenomanian Stage

Category:Turonian Stage

Category:Conglomerate formations of China

Category:Mudstone formations of China

Category:Fluvial deposits

Category:Ooliferous formations

Category:Paleontology in Henan