Bissekty Formation
Bissekty Formation Stratigraphic range: Mid-Late Turonian ~ | |
---|---|
Type | Geological formation |
Underlies | |
Overlies | |
Thickness | up to 80 m (260 ft) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Sandstone |
Other | Conglomerate, mudstone, siltstone |
Location | |
Coordinates | 42°06′N 62°42′E / 42.1°N 62.7°ECoordinates: 42°06′N 62°42′E / 42.1°N 62.7°E |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 36°48′N 57°00′E / 36.8°N 57.0°E |
Region | Navoiy & Xorazm Regions |
Country | ![]() |
Extent | Kyzylkum Desert |
![]() ![]() ![]() Bissekty Formation (Uzbekistan) |
The Bissekty Formation (sometimes referred to as Bissekt) is a geologic formation and Lagerstätte which crops out in the Kyzyl Kum desert of Uzbekistan, and dates to the Late Cretaceous Period. Laid down in the mid to late Turonian, it is dated to about 92 to 90 Ma (million years ago).[1]
Description[]
The lithology of the sediment largely consists of cross bedded sandstones with interbeds of massive sandstone, well cemented intraformational conglomerate, siltstones and mudstones. Most of the fossils are found as clasts within the conglomerates.[2]
Fossil content[]
The Bissekty Formation is characterised by a mix of marine, brackish, freshwater, and terrestrial animal fossils. This stands in contrast the strictly marine fossils found in the underlying , and indicates that the Bissekty was formed during the regression of a saltwater sea. The coastline expanded inland again in the upper portion of the Bissekty, represented by a proportional increase of fully aquatic species, which were almost completely absent from the middle period of the formation. Semi-aquatic species remained abundant during this middle period, and the geology of the formations indicates that a braided river system took the place of the coastline. Eventually the area was again completely underwater, during the time period represented by the later , which preserves coastal marine sediments.[2]
Vertebrates[]
The Bissekty Formation is notable for preserving the most abundant Turonian land animal fossils in Eurasia, and the most diverse fauna of Late Cretaceous eutherians (placental mammals and relatives) in the world.[2]
Listings and accompanying information are based on a survey of the Bissekty Formation published by Cory Redman and Lindsey Leighton in 2009 unless otherwise noted.[2] Aquatic and semi-aquatic species are restricted to freshwater unless otherwise noted.
Amphibians[]
An indeterminate species of salamander-like albanerpetontid amphibian. An indeterminate gobiatid species.
Amphibians of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | |
Aralobatrachus | A. robustus | A frog | ||||
Eoscapherpeton | E. asiaticum | A salamander | ||||
Gobiates | G. sosedkoi | A frog | ||||
Gobiates spp. | Additional indeterminate species of Gobiates | |||||
Itemirella | I. cretacea | A possible discoglossid frog | ||||
Kizylkuma | K. antiqua | A possible discoglossid marine frog | ||||
Mynbulakia | M. surgai | A batrachosauroidid salamander |
Cartilaginous fish[]
Cartilaginous fishes of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
Cretodus | C. crassidens | A marine cretoxyrhinid | ||||
Heterodontus | Indeterminate | A marine bullhead shark | ||||
Indeterminate | A sand shark tolerant of brackish water | |||||
Hybodus | Indeterminate | A hybodontid tolerant of brackish water | ![]() | |||
Ischyrhiza | I. serra | A sclerorhynchid tolerant of brackish water | ||||
Myledaphus | M. tritus | A tolerant of brackish water | ||||
Indeterminate | A tolerant of brackish water | |||||
Scapanorhynchus | S. rhaphiodon | A goblin shark tolerant of brackish water | ![]() |
Crocodylomorphs[]
Crocodylomorphs of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | |
Kansajsuchus | K. borealis | A possible goniopholidid mesoeucrocodylian | ||||
Tadzhikosuchus | T. macrodentis | A possible alligatoroid eusuchian | ||||
Zholsuchus | Z. procevus | A possible mesoeucrocodylian | ||||
Zhyrasuchus | Z. angustifrons | A possible eusuchian |
Lizards[]
An indeterminate gekkonid. An indeterminate priscagamid. An indeterminate scincid.
Lizards of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | |
B. crassidens | A | |||||
E. bissektensis | A priscagamid |
Mammals and other therapsids[]
Mammaliaformes of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | |
A. aptap | A zhelestid | |||||
B. kezbe | An asioryctitherian | |||||
D. inobservabilis | An asioryctitherian | |||||
D. kulbeckensis | An asioryctitherian | |||||
E. kudukensis | A zhelestid | |||||
K. kulbecke | A zalambdalestid | |||||
P. quadrans | An eutherian | |||||
P. mynbulakensis | A zhelestid | |||||
P. robustus | A zhelestid | |||||
S. bakht | A symmetrodont | |||||
Sulestes | S. karakshi | A deltatheroid | ||||
U. nessovi | An asioryctitherian | |||||
Uzbekbaatar | U. kizylkumensis | A cimolodont | ||||
Z. temirkazyk | A zhelestid |
Plesiosaurs[]
Plesiosaurs of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
Plesiosauria | Indeterminate | Marine, possibly tolerant of brackish water |
Pterosaurs[]
Pterosaurs of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
Azhdarcho | A. lancicollis | Dzhara-Kuduk | Taykarshinskaya unit | An azhdarchid | ![]() |
Ray-finned fish[]
An indeterminate acipenserid. An indeterminate albulid (bonefish) species. An indeterminate albulid (bonefish) species. An indeterminate pholidophoriform species.
Ray-finned fish of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
Aidachar | A. paludalis | An ichthyodectiform tolerant of brackish water | ||||
Amia Extant | A. limosa | A bowfin tolerant of brackish water | ![]() A living Amia. | |||
Atractosteus | A. turanensis | A gar tolerant of brackish water | ||||
Belonostomus | B. aciculifer | An aspidorhynchid | ||||
P. kazakhorum | A paddlefish |
Dinosaurs[]
Theropods[]
An unnamed ornithomimosaur, known from fragmentary remains.[3] An indeterminate tyrannosaurid species, known from isolated teeth.[4]
Non-Enantiornithine Theropod dinosaurs of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Description | Images |
"Archaeornithomimus" | A. bissektensis | "Metatarsals"[5] | A dubious ornithomimosaur | ![]() | ||
Caenagnathasia | C. martinsoni | "[Two] partial mandibles"[6] | An elmisaurine caenagnathid | ![]() | ||
Dzharaonyx | D. eski | An alvarezsaur | ||||
Euronychodon | E. asiaticus | A possible troodontid based on isolated teeth[7][8][9] | ||||
Itemirus | I. medullaris | A dromaeosaurine | ![]() | |||
Kuszholia[10] | K. mengi[10] | "[Two] synsacra"[10] | ||||
[11] | P. nana[11] | "Sacrum"[12] | ||||
Therizinosauroidea spp.[13] | Indeterminate | Partial crania also preserving some teeth and some postcranial elements including pedal bones (from multiple individuals) | At least two different therizinosauroids | |||
Timurlengia[14] | T. euotica | Two braincases, dentary, and miscellaneous postcranial elements (from multiple individuals) | A non-tyrannosaurid tyrannosauroid | ![]() | ||
Ulughbegsaurus | U. uzbekistanensis | A left maxilla, the ramus end of a left maxilla, and the posterior end of a right maxilla. | A theropod belonging to the group Carcharodontosauria. | |||
Urbacodon | Unnamed species | A troodontid, known from isolated teeth[15] | ||||
Zhyraornis | Z. kashkarovi | A possible ornithurine |
Sauropods[]
Sauropod dinosaurs of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Description | Images |
Dzharatitanis | D. kingi | An anterior caudal vertebra. | A rebbachisaurid | ![]() | ||
Titanosauria | Indeterminate | CCMGE 628/12457, a braincase |
Ornithischians[]
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Ornithischians reported from the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Description | Images |
Amtosaurus | A. archibaldi[11] | Reclassified as Bissektipelta[16] | ||||
Bactrosaurus | B. kyslkumensis | "Fragmentary dentary [=maxilla], vetebrae, tibia."[17] | Nomen dubium | |||
Bissektipelta | B. archibaldi[16] | "Partial skull."[18] | An ankylosaur | |||
Cionodon | C. kyslkumensis[11] | Reclassified as Bactrosaurus kyslkumensis[16] | ||||
Gilmoreosaurus | G. arkhangelskyi | Nomen dubium | ||||
Levnesovia | L. transoxiana | "Braincases" | A hadrosauroid | |||
Turanoceratops[11] | T. tardabilis[11] | A ceratopsian[19] | ![]() |
Enantiornithines[]
Enantiornithines of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Description | Images |
Abavornis | A. bonaparti | Known from a partial coracoid[20] | A possible enantiornithine.[20] A possible second species of Abavornis in the Bissekty Formation is known from a partial coracoid.[20] | |||
Catenoleimus | C. anachoretus | A possible enantiornithine | ||||
Explorornis | E. nessovi | An enantiornithine. Possible third and fourth species of Explorornis in the Bissekty Formation are known from partial coracoids.[20] | ||||
E. walkeri | "Coracoid"[21] | |||||
Ichthyornis | I. minusculus | "Dorsal vertebra"[12] | An enantiornithine originally but incorrectly identified as a species of Ichthyornis.[22] | |||
Incolornis | I. martini | Known from a partial coracoid[20] | A possible enantiornithine[20] | |||
I. silvae | Known from a partial coracoid[20] | A possible enantiornithine[20] | ||||
Kizylkumavis[11] | K. cretacea[11] | "Distal humerus"[21] | An enantiornithine | |||
Kuszholia | K. mengi | "[Two] synsacra"[10] | An enantiornithine | |||
Lenesornis[11] | L. maltshevskyi[11] | "Synsacrum"[21] | A possible enantiornithine | |||
cf. Nanantius | An enantiornithine, similar to Nanantius eos | |||||
Sazavis[11] | S. prisca[11] | "Distal tibiotarsus"[23] | An enantiornithine | |||
Zhyraornis[11] | Z. kashkarovi[11] | "Synsacrum"[23] | ||||
Z. logunovi[11] | "Synsacrum"[23] |
Turtles[]
An indeterminate trionychid (soft-shell) turtle species that was tolerant of brackish water.
Turtles of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | |
"Adocus" | "Adocus" aksary | An adocid tolerant of brackish water | ||||
Anatolemys | Indeterminate | A "macrobaenid" tolerant of brackish water | ||||
Khunnuchelys | K. kizylkumensis | A trionychid tolerant of brackish water | ||||
L. elegans | A "lindholmemydid" tolerant of brackish water | |||||
S. ancestralis | An adocid tolerant of brackish water |
Invertebrates[]
An indeterminate species of marine coral.
Arthropods[]
Arthropods of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | |
Linuparus | Marine | A spiny lobster |
Molluscs[]
An indeterminate species of marine placenticeratid ammonite. An indeterminate species of marine teredinid shipworm. An indeterminate marine trigoniid bivalve. An indeterminate marine veneroid bivalve.
Molluscs of the Bissekty Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | |
Indeterminate | A marine crassatellid bivalve | |||||
M. labiatus | A marine inoceramid bivalve | |||||
Plagiostoma | Indeterminate | A marine limoid bivalve | ||||
Indeterminate | A marine trigoniid bivalve | |||||
Xylophaga | Indeterminate | An indeterminate species of marine shipworm |
References[]
- ^ Averianov, Alexander; Sues, Hans-Dieter (April 2012). "Skeletal remains of Tyrannosauroidea (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Bissekty Formation (Upper Cretaceous: Turonian) of Uzbekistan". Cretaceous Research. 34: 284–297. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2011.11.009. ISSN 0195-6671.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Redman & Leighton, 2009
- ^ Sues & Averianov, 2016
- ^ Archibald, James David; Sues, Hans-Dieter; Averianov, Alexander; King, Chris; Ward, David John; Tsaruk, Oleg; Danilov, Igor; Rezvyi, Anton; Veretennikov, Boris; Khodjaev, Anvar (1998). "Precis of the Cretaceous paleontology, biostratigtaphy and sedimentology at Dzharakuduk (Turonian?-Santonian), Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan". Bulletin of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. 14: 21–27.
- ^ "Table 6.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 139.
- ^ "Table 8.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 166.
- ^ "Table 10.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 199.
- ^ "Table 9.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 185.
- ^ Nesov, A. (1995). "Dinosaurs of Northern Eurasia: new data about assemblages, ecology and paleobiogeography." Scientific Research Institute of the Earth's Crust. St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia: 156 pp. + 14 pl. [in Russian with short English, German, and French abstracts].
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 212.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Dinosaur distribution (Bissekty Formation)." Weishampel, et al. (2004). Pg. 594.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 216.
- ^ Sues, H.-D.; Averianov, A. (2016). "Therizinosauroidea (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Uzbekistan". Cretaceous Research. 59: 155–178. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.11.003.
- ^ Stephen L. Brusatte; Alexander Averianov; Hans-Dieter Sues; Amy Muir; Ian B. Butler (2016). "New tyrannosaur from the mid-Cretaceous of Uzbekistan clarifies evolution of giant body sizes and advanced senses in tyrant dinosaurs". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 113 (13): 3447–3452. Bibcode:2016PNAS..113.3447B. doi:10.1073/pnas.1600140113. PMC 4822578. PMID 26976562.
- ^ Averianov, A.O.; Sues, H.-D. (2007). "A new troodontid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Cenomanian of Uzbekistan, with a review of troodontid records from the territories of the former Soviet Union". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (1): 87–98. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[87:ANTDTF]2.0.CO;2.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Averianov, 2002
- ^ "Table 20.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 442.
- ^ "Table 17.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 367.
- ^ Sues & Averianov, 2009
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Panteleev (1998). ""New species of enantiornithines (Aves: Enantiornithes) from the Upper Cretaceous of Central Kyzylkum." Russkii Ornitologicheskii Zhurnal". Ekspress-vy.PVSK. 35: 3–15.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 213.
- ^ Kurochkin. (1996). "A new Enantiornithid of the Mongolian Late Cretaceous, and a general appraisal of the Infraclass Enantiornithes (Aves)." Russian Academy of Sciences, special issue: 50pp.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 214.
Bibliography[]
- An ankylosaurid (Ornithischia: Ankylosauria) braincase from the Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan. Bulletin de l'Institute Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre 72. 97–110. Accessed 2019-03-22. . 2002.
- Multivariate faunal analysis of the Turonian Bissekty Formation: Variation in the degree of marine influence in temporally and spatially averaged fossil assemblages. PALAIOS 24. 18–26. Accessed 2019-03-22. , and . 2009.
- Ornithomimidae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Bissekty Formation (Upper Cretaceous: Turonian) of Uzbekistan. Cretaceous Research 57. 90–110. Accessed 2019-03-22. , and . 2016.
- Turanoceratops tardabilis—the first ceratopsid dinosaur from Asia. Naturwissenschaften 96. 645–652. Accessed 2019-03-22. , and . 2009.
- The Dinosauria, 2nd edition, 1–880. Berkeley: University of California Press. Accessed 2019-02-21. ISBN 0-520-24209-2 ; , and . 2004.
Further reading[]
- New material of the Late Cretaceous deltatheroidan mammal Sulestes from Uzbekistan and phylogenetic reassessment of the metatherian-eutherian dichotomy. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 8. 301–330. Accessed 2019-03-22. ; , and . 2010.
- New records of azhdarchids (Pterosauria, Azhdarchidae) from the Late Cretaceous of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia. Paleontological Journal 41. 189–197. Accessed 2019-03-22. . 2007.
- New Late Cretaceous lobsters from the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan. Journal of Paleontology 81. 701–713. Accessed 2019-03-22. ; ; ; , and . 2007.
- Mesozoic crocodyliforms of north-central Eurasia, 402–419. In M. J. Benton, M. A. Shishkin, D. M. Unwin, E. N. Kurochkin (eds.), The Age of Dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia. Accessed 2019-03-22. , and . 2000.
- Dromaeosauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Bissekty Formation (Upper Cretaceous: Turonian) of Uzbekistan and the phylogenetic position of Itemirus medullaris Kurzanov, 1976. Cretaceous Research 51. 225–240. Accessed 2019-03-22. , and . 2014.
- Paleontological Journal 45. 314–319. , and . 2011. Synsacrum of a primitive bird from the Upper Cretaceous of Uzbekistan.
- Bissekty Formation
- Geologic formations of Uzbekistan
- Upper Cretaceous Series of Asia
- Sandstone formations
- Conglomerate formations
- Mudstone formations
- Fluvial deposits
- Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of Asia
- Paleontology in Uzbekistan
- Navoiy Region
- Xorazm Region