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Luning Formation

{{Short description|Geologic formation in Nevada, United States}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Luning Formation

| image =

| caption =

| type = Formation

| age = Late Carnian-Early Norian
~{{fossilrange|227|refs={{cite journal|author1=Balini, M.|author2=Jenks, James F.|author3=Martin, R.|author4=McRoberts, Christopher A.|author5=Orchard, Michael J.|author6=Silberling, Norman J.|year=2015|title=The Carnian/Norian boundary succession at Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park (Upper Triassic, central Nevada, USA)|journal=Paläontologische Zeitschrift|volume=89|pages=399–433|doi=10.1007/s12542-014-0244-2|hdl=2434/259929|hdl-access=free}}}}

| period = Carnian

| prilithology =

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| region = Nevada

| country = United States

| coordinates =

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}}

The Luning Formation is a geologic formation in Nevada. It preserves fossils dating back to the Triassic period. The lowermost strata dates to the late Carnian-early Norian boundary.

Fossil content

The Luning Formation contains significant fossils of invertebrate fauna such as ammonites, bivalves and brachiopods. The site is known for its ichthyosaur fossils.

= Vertebrates =

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="7" align="center" | Vertebrates reported from the Luning Formation
GenusSpecies

!Location

Stratigraphic position

!Material

NotesImages
Actinopterygii

|

|West Union Canyon.

|S. kerri ammonoid zone.

|Small fish bones.

|An indeterminate bony fish.

|

Chondrichthyes

|

|West Union Canyon

|K. macrolobatus ammonoid zone.

|An elasmobranch fin spine.

|An indeterminate cartilaginous fish.

|

Metapolygnathus

|M. primitius

|Pilot & Cedar Mountains.{{Cite journal |last1=Roniewicz |first1=Ewa |last2=Stanley |first2=George D. |date=September 2013 |title=Upper Triassic corals from Nevada, western North America, and the implications for paleoecology and paleogeography |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281043618 |journal=Journal of Paleontology |language=en |volume=87 |issue=5 |pages=934–964 |doi=10.1666/12-081 |s2cid=130114030 |issn=0022-3360}}

|

|Conodont elements.

|A conodont.

|

Shonisaurus

|S. popularis

|West Union Canyon, Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.{{Cite journal |last1=Kelley |first1=Neil P. |last2=Irmis |first2=Randall B. |last3=dePolo |first3=Paige E. |last4=Noble |first4=Paula J. |last5=Montague-Judd |first5=Danielle |last6=Little |first6=Holly |last7=Blundell |first7=Jon |last8=Rasmussen |first8=Cornelia |last9=Percival |first9=Lawrence M.E. |last10=Mather |first10=Tamsin A. |last11=Pyenson |first11=Nicholas D. |date=December 2022 |title=Grouping behavior in a Triassic marine apex predator |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.005 |journal=Current Biology |volume=32 |issue=24 |pages=5398–5405.e3 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.005 |pmid=36538877 |s2cid=254874088 |issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free }}

|

|Remains of approximately 40 individuals.{{Cite journal |last1=Montague-Judd |first1=Danielle |last2=Parrish |first2=Judith Totman |date=1996 |title=Paleoceanographic Setting of the Upper Triassic Luning Formation (Nevada) and Implications for the Distribution of Shonisaurus (Diapsida: Ichthyosauria) |journal=The Paleontological Society Special Publications |language=en |volume=8 |pages=279 |doi=10.1017/S2475262200002811 |issn=2475-2622|doi-access=free }}

|A large ichthyosaur.

|File:Shonisaurus popularis.png

Vertebrata indet.

|

|West Union Canyon.

|S. kerri ammonoid zone or above.

|Indeterminate bone fragments.

|

|

= Invertebrates =

==Arthropods==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="7" align="center" | Arthropods reported from the Luning Formation
GenusSpecies

!Location

Stratigraphic position

!Material

NotesImages
Platypleon

|P. nevadensis

|

|

|A fragmentary specimen containing two pleonal segments and the proximal portion of the left uropods.{{Cite journal |last1=Hegna |first1=Thomas |last2=Starr |first2=Hunter |last3=McMenamin |first3=Mark |date=June 2016 |title=Epilogue to the tale of the Triassic amphipod: Rosagammarus McMenamin, Zapata and Hussey, 2013 is a decapod tail (Luning Formation, Nevada, USA) |journal=Journal of Crustacean Biology |language=en |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=525–529 |doi=10.1163/1937240X-00002444 |issn=0278-0372|doi-access=free }}

|A decapod.

|

Pseudoglyphea

|P. mulleri

|

|

|Carapace.

|A litogastrid decapod.

|

Rosagammarus

|R. minichiellus

|Shoshone Mountains.{{Cite journal |last1=McMenamin |first1=Mark A. S. |last2=Zapata |first2=Lesly P. |last3=Hussey |first3=Meghan C. |title=A Triassic Giant Amphipod from Nevada, USA |date=2013 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43836791 |journal=Journal of Crustacean Biology |volume=33 |issue=6 |pages=751–759 |doi=10.1163/1937240X-00002192 |jstor=43836791 |issn=0278-0372|doi-access=free }}

|

|Right half of a tail.

|A lobster-like decapod, originally misidentified as a giant amphipod.

|

==Brachiopods==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="7" align="center" | Brachiopods reported from the Luning Formation
GenusSpeciesLocation

!Stratigraphic position

!Material

NotesImages
Balatonospira?

|B.? cf. B. lipoldi

|Dunlap Canyon & Cinnabar Canyon.{{Cite journal |last=Sandy, Stanley Jr |first=Michael R., George D. |date=July 1993 |title=Late Triassic brachiopods from the Luning Formation, Nevada, and their palaeobiogeographical significance |url=https://www.palass.org/publications/palaeontology-journal/archive/36/2/article_pp439-480 |journal=The Palaeontological Association |volume=36 |pages=439–480}}

|Lower Member.

|Numerous specimens.

|A spiriferidan.

|

rowspan="2" |Plectoconcha

|P. aequiplicata

|Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park & Pilot Mountains.

|Limestone and secondary dolomite member, & Lower Member.

|Numerous specimens.

|A terebratulid.

|

P. newbyi

|Dunlap Canyon & Cinnabar Canyon.

|Lower Member.

|Numerous specimens.

|A terebratulid.

|

Rhaetina

|R. gregaria

|Cinnabar & Dunlap Canyons, & Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.

|Lower Member & limestone and secondary dolomite member.

|Around 10 specimens.

|A terebratulidan.

|File:0 8 201508 museo di lecco-122.JPG

Spondylospira

|S. lewesensis

|Dunlap Canyon & Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.

|Lower Member.

|3 complete specimens, 1 brachial & 2 pedicle valves.

|A spiniferidan.

|

Zeilleria

|Z. cf. Z. elliptica

|Dunlap & Cinnabar Canyons.

|Lower Member.

|Over 12 specimens.

|A zeilleriid.

|File:Zeilleria quadrifida.2 - Jurasico.JPG

rowspan="2" |Zugmayerella

|Z. uncinata

|Dunlap Canyon & Cinnabar Canyon.

|Lower Member.

|Numerous specimens.

|A spiniferidan.

|

?Z. sp.

|14.5 km east of Mina, Nevada.

|Probably Lower Member.

|A pedicle valve (UMIP 6952).

|A spiniferidan.

|

==Cephalopods==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="7" align="center" | Cephalopods reported from the Luning Formation
GenusSpecies

!Location

Stratigraphic position

!Material

NotesImages
rowspan="3" |Guembelites

|G. clavatus

|Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.

|

|

|An ammonite.

|

G. jandianus

|Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.

|

|

|An ammonite.

|

G. philostrati

|Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.

|

|

|An ammonite.

|

Pararcestes

|P. sp.

|Mustang Canyon locality & Dunlap Canyon.

|

|

|An ammonite.

|

Stikinoceras

|S. kerri

|Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.

|

|

|An ammonite.

|

Thisbites

|T. sp.

|Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.

|

|

|An ammonite.

|

==Cnidarians==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="7" align="center" | Cnidarians reported from the Luning Formation
GenusSpeciesLocation

!Stratigraphic position

!Material

NotesImages
Ampakabastrea

|A. cowichanensis

|Dunlap Canyon, Mina vicinity & Mineral County, Nevada.

|

|6 specimens.

|A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.

|

Areaseris

|A. nevadaensis

|Dunlap Canyon.

|

|Multiple specimens.

|A stony coral also found in California.

|

Astraeomorpha

|A. confusa

|Dunlap Canyon.

|

|2 specimens.

|A stony coral.

|

rowspan="2" |Ceriostella

|C. martini

|Pilot Mountains & east of Mina.

|

|6 specimens.

|A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.

|

C. parva

|Pilot Mountains.

|

|3 specimens.

|A stony coral also found in Alaska.

|

Curtoseris

|C. dunlapcanyonae

|Dunlap Canyon.

|

|UMIP 17010.

|A stony coral also found in Alaska & Peru.

|

Distichomeandra

|D. cf. minor

|Cedar Mountains (Dicalite Summit).

|

|UMIP 26869.

|A stony coral.

|

Flexastrea

|F. serialis

|Mineral County, Nevada.

|

|4 specimens.

|A stony coral.

|

rowspan="2" |Khytrastrea

|K. cuifiamorpha

|Dunlap Canyon.

|

|UMIP 7465 & 7480.

|A stony coral.

|

K. silberlingi

|Dunlap Canyon.

|

|UMIP 17002-1.

|A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.

|

Margarogyra

|M. silberlingi

|Mineral County, Nevada.

|

|

|A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.

|

Margarophyllidae undetermined genus

|

|East of Mina, Pilot Mountains.

|

|Fragmentary, recrystallized specimen (UMIP 6676).

|A stony coral.

|

Meandrovolzeia

|M. sp.

|Pilot Mountains.

|

|A colony fragment UMIP 6720.

|A stony coral.

|

Minasteria

|M. shastensis

|Pilot Mountains & Mina vicinity.

|

|7 specimens.

|A stony coral also found in California.

|

Nevadoseris

|N. punctata

|Dunlap & Cinnabar Canyons.

|

|Multiple specimens.

|A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.

|

Plectodiscus

|P. berlinensis

| West Union Canyon, Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.{{Cite journal |last1=Hogler |first1=Jennifer A. |last2=Hanger |first2=Rex A. |date=1989 |title=A New Chondrophorine (Hydrozoa, Velellidae) from the Upper Triassic of Nevada |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1305362 |journal=Journal of Paleontology |volume=63 |issue=2 |pages=249–251 |doi=10.1017/S0022336000019296 |jstor=1305362 |s2cid=131299201 |issn=0022-3360|url-access=subscription }}

|

|UCMP 38211.

| A chondrophore.

|

rowspan="2" |Retiophyllia

|R. nevadae

|Mineral County, Nevada.

|

|UCMP 153092.

|A stony coral.

|

R. sp.

|Dunlap Canyon.

|

|Fragments of corallites.

|A stony coral.

|

Thamnasteria

|T. cf. smithi

|Dunlap & Cinnabar canyons.

|

|2 specimens.

|A thamnasteriid coral.

|File:Thamnasteriidae - Thamnasteria.JPG

==Sponges==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="7" align="center" | Sponges reported from the Luning Formation
GenusSpecies

!Location

Stratigraphic position

!Material

NotesImages
Polycystocoelia

|P. silberlingi

|Garfield Hills.{{Cite journal |last1=Senowbari-Daryan |first1=Baba |last2=Stanley |first2=George D. |date=March 1992 |title=Late Triassic thalamid sponges from Nevada |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022336000033692/type/journal_article |journal=Journal of Paleontology |language=en |volume=66 |issue=2 |pages=183–193 |doi=10.1017/S0022336000033692 |s2cid=132344431 |issn=0022-3360|url-access=subscription }}

| Lower Member.

|Oe specimen (UMIP 6653).

| A demosponge.

|

See also

{{Portal|Earth sciences|United States|Paleontology}}

References

{{Reflist}}

  • {{cite web|title= Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database|author= ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database))|url= https://www.fossilworks.org|access-date= 17 December 2021}}

Category:Triassic geology of Nevada

Category:Long stubs with short prose

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