[F] Dull Purplish Beds (Shawan Member) of the Lower Lufeng Formation Yunnan - China
Yunnan - China
The Lower Lufeng has yielded a rich and varied assemblage of vetebrate fossils and is known as the Lufengosaurus-Fauna. It is devided into two units, the lower Dull Purplish Beds dominated by the dinosaur Lufengosaurus described by C.C.Young in 1941, and the Dark Red Beds [= Fengjiahe Formation] rich in mammals, mammal-like reptiles, crocodiles and dinosaurs, again principally Lufengosaurus.
The Lower Lufeng Formation was originally considered to be Late Triassic in age by Professor Young. However, more recent stratigraphic studies and the correlation of leaf, pollen, spores and invertebrate fossils indicate that the Lower Lufeng Formation should be dated as Lower Jurassic in age.
The Lufeng Basin is situated about 100 kilometres north-west of Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. The series of continental sediments, about 1000 metres thick, were named the Lufeng Series by Dr. Bien Meinian in 1941, and have since been devided into the Upper and Lower Lufeng Formations.
The Lower Lufeng has yielded a rich and varied assemblage of vetebrate fossils and is known as the Lufengosaurus-Fauna. It is devided into two units, the lower Dull Purplish Beds dominated by the dinosaur Lufengosaurus described by C.C.Young in 1941, and the Dark Red Beds [= Fengjiahe Formation] rich in mammals, mammal-like reptiles, crocodiles and dinosaurs, again principally Lufengosaurus.
The Lower Lufeng Formation was originally considered to be Late Triassic in age by Professor Young. However, more recent stratigraphic studies and the correlation of leaf, pollen, spores and invertebrate fossils indicate that the Lower Lufeng Formation should be dated as Lower Jurassic in age.
The Lufeng Formation has previously been referred to as the Lower Lufeng Series and the Lower Lufeng Formation (Bien 1941, Sheng et al. 1962, Sun et al. 1985). It was informally divided into two subunits, the lower “Dark Purple Beds” and upper “Deep Red Beds” (Bien 1941). Fang et al. (2000) formalized these units into the Shawan Member and Zhangjiawa Member, respectively. (Irmis, 2004)
Eshanosaurus deguchiianus - Coelurosauria Therizinosauroidea - Jurassic Early Hettangian
Gyposaurus sinensis - Prosauropoda Plateosauridae - ?Triassic Late Jurassic Early ?Rhaetian Hettangian Sinemurian Pliensbachian
Lufengosaurus hunei - Prosauropoda Plateosauridae - ?Triassic Late Jurassic Early Jurassic Middle ?Rhaetian Hettangian Sinemurian Pliensbachian Toarcian Aalenian Bajocian (including Gyposaurus sinensis, Lufengosaurus magnus, Tawasaurus minor & Fulengia youngi)
Lufengosaurus magnus - Prosauropoda Plateosauridae - Jurassic Early Sinemurian Pliensbachian
Lukousaurus yini - Tetanurae Coelurosauria - Triassic Late Jurassic Early Rhaetian Hettangian Sinemurian Pliensbachian
Sinosaurus triassicus - Coelurosauria Nomina Dubia - Jurassic Early Hettangian Sinemurian Pliensbachian
Yunnanosaurus huangi - Prosauropoda Yunnanosauridae - Jurassic Early Hettangian Sinemurian Pliensbachian
[including Yunnanosaurus robustus]
Yunnanosaurus robustus - Prosauropoda Yunnanosauridae - Jurassic Early Hettangian Sinemurian Pliensbachian