Aral Formation

Aral Formation
Stratigraphic range: Oligocene – Miocene
Aral Formation; Stratigraphic range: Oligocene – Miocene
Type	Formation
Location
Coordinates	50.3° N, 57.2° E W
Region	Aktyubinsk
Country	Kazakhstan

The Aral Formation is a geologic formation in Kazakhstan. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period.^[1] Much of its fossils consist of Glires and fish, though cetaceans and cryptobranchid salamanders are also known.

Paleobiota[]

The Aral Formation has yielded a rich variety of extinct mammals. Many of its mammal fauna consists of the clade Glires with rodents being particularly numerous.^[1]

Bivalves[]

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Corbula^[1]	C. helmerseni	A bivalve

Chondrichthyes[]

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Odontaspis^[1]	Species indeterminate	A sand tiger shark.

Osteichthyes[]

Genus	Species	Notes
Acipenser^[1]	Species indeterminate	A sturgeon.
Cyprinidae indet.^[1]	Genus and species indeterminate	A carp.
Esox^[1]	E. aralensis	A pike.
Percidae indet.^[1]	Gensu and species indeterminate	A perch.

Urodela[]

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Cryptobranchidae indet.^[1]	Genus and species indeterminate.	A giant salamander.

Mammals[]

Rodents[]

Genus	Species	Notes
^[1]	A. schokensis	A cricetid.
^[1]	A. bolligeri.	An eomyid.
^[1]^[2]	E. tremulus	A mouse.
^[1]^[2]	E. occasionalis	A mouse.
^[1]	P. tereskentensis	A jumping mouse.
Propalaeocastor^[1]	P. kumbulakensis	A castorid.

Lagomorpha[]

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
	D. gobiensis, D. simplex, D. periaralicus.	A rabbit.

Eulipotyphla[]

Genus	Species	Notes
Amphechinus	A. minimus	A hedgehog.
Desmaninae indet.	Indeterminate genus and species.	A desman.
	G. kingae.	A shrew.
Talpidae indet.	Indeterminate genus and species.	A mole.

Cetacea[]

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Delphinidae indet.	Indeterminate genus and species.	A dolphin.

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Fossilworks: Altynshokysu (bone bed I). Fossilworks.org. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
^ ^a ^b A. V. Lopatin. 1996. "The Stratigraphy and Small Mammals from the Aral Formation, the Altynshokysu Locality, Northern Aral Area." Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation. 4 (2): 65-79.

[fossilworksa-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Fossilworks: Altynshokysu (bone bed I). Fossilworks.org. Retrieved 2021-04-07.

[lopatin1996-2] A. V. Lopatin. 1996. "The Stratigraphy and Small Mammals from the Aral Formation, the Altynshokysu Locality, Northern Aral Area." Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation. 4 (2): 65-79.

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