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Lufeng Formation

The Lufeng Formation is a Lower Jurassic sedimentary rock formation found in Yunnan, China. It has two units: the lower Dull Purplish Beds/Shawan Member are of Hettangian age, and Dark Red Beds/Zhangjia'ao Member are of Sinemurian age. It is known for its fossils of early dinosaurs. The Dull Purplish Beds have yielded the possible therizinosaur Eshanosaurus, the possible theropod Lukousaurus, and the "prosauropods" "Gyposaurus" sinensis, Lufengosaurus, Jingshanosaurus, and Yunnanosaurus. Dinosaurs discovered in the Dark Red Beds include the theropod Sinosaurus triassicus, the "prosauropods" "Gyposaurus", Lufengosaurus, and Yunnanosaurus, indeterminate remains of sauropods, and the early armored dinosaurs Bienosaurus and Tatisaurus.

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Lufeng Formation
Stratigraphic range: Hettangian-Sinemurian
~
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsShawan & Zhangjia'ao Members
UnderliesChuanjie Formation
OverliesPrecambrian slate basement
Thicknessover 300 metres (980 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySiltstone
OtherSandstone
Location
Coordinates25°00′N 102°06′E / 25.0°N 102.1°E / 25.0; 102.1
Approximate paleocoordinates34°18′N 104°36′E / 34.3°N 104.6°E / 34.3; 104.6
RegionYunnan
CountryChina
ExtentYunnan Basin
Lufeng Formation (China)
Show map of China
Lufeng Formation (Yunnan)
Show map of Yunnan

The Lufeng Formation (formerly Lower Lufeng Series) is a Lower Jurassic sedimentary rock formation found in Yunnan, China. It has two units: the lower Dull Purplish Beds/Shawan Member are of Hettangian age, and Dark Red Beds/Zhangjia'ao Member are of Sinemurian age.1 It is known for its fossils of early dinosaurs. The Dull Purplish Beds have yielded the possible therizinosaur Eshanosaurus, the possible theropod Lukousaurus, and the "prosauropods" "Gyposaurus" sinensis, Lufengosaurus, Jingshanosaurus, and Yunnanosaurus. Dinosaurs discovered in the Dark Red Beds include the theropod Sinosaurus triassicus, the "prosauropods" "Gyposaurus", Lufengosaurus, and Yunnanosaurus, indeterminate remains of sauropods, and the early armored dinosaurs Bienosaurus and Tatisaurus.2

Paleofauna

Rhynchocephalians

Rhynchocephalians reported from the Lufeng Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes

Clevosaurus3

Indeterminate

Yunnan

Partial skulls and jaws.3 The three named species do not display any autapomorphic characters and should be considered indeterminate within the genus. Only record of rhynchocephalians from Asia.3

Crurotarsans

Crurotarsans reported from the Lufeng Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes

Dianchungosaurus4

D. lufengensis4

Yunnan4

Dark Red Beds4

Formerly considered an ornithopod dinosaur.

Dianosuchus5 D. changchiawaensis Lufeng, Yunnan Dark Red Beds
Microchampsa6 M. scutata Dahuangtian locality Lower Red Beds iIncomplete skeleton consisting of cervical and anterior dorsal vertebrae as well as ribs and three rows of dorsal osteoderms
Phyllodontosuchus7 P. lufengensis Dawa, Yunnan Dark Red Beds BVP568-L12, a crushed skull A potential non-carnivorous crocodrylomorph
Platyognathus8 P. hsui Lufeng, Yunnan Zhangjiawa Member IVPP V8266, rostral portion of a skull missing the dorsal bones and with articulated incomplete mandible; CVEB 21301, a nearly complete skull with articulated mandible, articulated with the anterior 17 vertebrae and associated dorsal osteoderms; part of the right scapulocoracoid; the left humerus; the right femur and proximal tibia and fibula The oldest Gobiosuchoidean
Strigosuchus9 S. licinus Lufeng, Yunnan Zhangjia'ao Member FMNH CUP 2082

Ornithischians

Indeterminate ornithopod remains Yunnan. Dark Red Beds.2

Ornithischians reported from the Lufeng Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes

Bienosaurus410

B. lufengensis4

Yunnan4

Dark Red Beds4

A right "[d]entary with teeth,"11 with additional cranial fragments such as a partial frontal. These specimens are catalogued as IVPP V 9612. The dentary preserves 11 teeth or roots with two additional empty alveoli.

Tatisaurus4

T. oehleri4

Yunnan4

Dark Red Beds4

"Isolated dentary."11

Sauropodomorphs

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.
Sauropodomorphs reported from the Lufeng Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Chuxiongosaurus12

C. lufengensis12

Yunnan12

"Skull"12

Jingshanosaurus source ↗
Lishulong source ↗
Lufengosaurus source ↗
Xingxiulong source ↗
Yunnanosaurus source ↗

Gyposaurus13

G. sinensis13

Yunnan13

  • Dark Red Beds4
  • Dull Purplish Beds14

"[Two] skeletons, [one] with partial skull, [two] partial skeletons, [three] skull fragments, adult."15

Fulengia4

F. youngi4

Yunnan4

  • Dark Red Beds4

"Skull."16

Jingshanosaurus14

J. xinwaensis14

Yunnan14

  • Dull Purplish Beds14

"Complete skeleton with skull, adult."15

"Kunmingosaurus"4

"K. wusdingensis"4

Yunnan4

  • Dark Red Beds4

nomen nudum

Lishulong17 L. wangi17 Yunnan17
  • Shawan Member17
 Skull and cervical vertebrae 2–1017

Lufengosaurus13

L. huenei13

Yunnan13

  • Dark Red Beds4
  • Dull Purplish14

"(including Gyposaurus sinensis, L. magnus)"2

L. magnus13

Yunnan13

  • Dark Red Beds4
  • Dull Purplish14

Tawasaurus4

T. minor4

Yunnan4

  • Dark Red Beds4
Xingxiulong X. chengi Yunnan
X. yueorum18 Yunnan
  • Zhangjiaao Member
 LF2015-NO01, an articulated postcranial skeleton
Yizhousaurus19 Y. sunae Yunnan
  • Zhangjiaao Member
 Partial skeleton with skull

Yunnanosaurus13

Y. huangi13

Yunnan13

  • Dark Red Beds4
  • Dull Purplish14

"More than [twenty] partial to complete skeletons, [two] skulls, juvenile to adult."16

Y. robustus13

Yunnan13

  • Dark Red Beds4
  • Dull Purplish14

Theropods

Theropods reported from the Lower Lufeng Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Eshanosaurus14

E. deguchiianus14

Yunnan14

  • Dull Purplish Beds14

"Dentary."20

Possible therizinosaur

Sinosaurus triassicus source ↗

Lukousaurus13

L. yini13

Yunnan13

  • Dark Red Beds4
  • Dull Purplish Beds14
  • Holotype skull, tooth21
  • Three bone fragments22

Possible crocodylomorph23

Sinosaurus13

S. triassicus13

Yunnan13

  • Dark Red Beds4
  • Dull Purplish Beds14
  • Maxillary fragments, teeth, and a lower jaw fragment
  • Incomplete skull and other post-cranial fragments

Dilophosaurus sinensis specimen

Now included in Sinosaurus

Panguraptor24 P. lufengensis24 Yunnan24
  • Dull Purplish Beds24
  • Partial skeleton24
 A coelophysid

Cynodonts

Cynodonts reported from the Lufeng Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Bienotherium
  • B. yuannanese
  • B. magnum
 A tritylodontid
Skull of Morganucodon oehleri source ↗
Dianzhongia D. longirostrata A tritylodontid
Hadrocodium25

H. wui25

Yunnan25

  • Dark Red Beds
 Skull One of the oldest and smallest mammaliaforms known. Indicates a correlation between the separation of the middle ear bones from the mandible and the expanded brain vault in early mammals.26
Lufengia L. delicata A tritylodontid
Morganucodon
  • M. oehleri
  • M. heikuopengensis
 Zhangjiawa Member (M. heikuopengensis)

Shawan Member (M. oehleri)

A morganucodontan
Sinoconodon S. rigneyi Zhangjiawa Member A mammaliamorph closely related to Mammaliaformes
Yunnanodon2728

Y. brevirostre27

Yunnan27

  • Dark Red Beds
 A tritylodontid
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Luo, Z., and X.-C. Wu. 1994. The small tetrapods of the Lower Lufeng Formation, Yunnan, China; pp. 251–270 in N. C. Fraser and H.-D.Sues (eds.), In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs. Cambridge University Press, New York
  2. Weishampel, et al. 2004.
  3. Jones MEH. 2006 The Early Jurassic clevosaurs from China (Diapsida: Lepidosauria). New Mex. Museum Nat. Hist. Sci. Bull. 37, 548–562.
  4. "48.3 Yunnan, People's Republic of China; 2. Dark Red Beds of the Lower Lufeng Series," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 534.
  5. Young, C.-C. (1982). On a primitive crocodile from Lufeng, Yunnnan. Selected Works on Yang Zhungijang. Science Press, Beijing pp. 26–28.
  6. Young, C.C., 1951, "The Lufeng saurischian fauna in China", Palaeontologia Sinica, New Series C, 13: 1-96
  7. Harris, Jerald D.; Lucas, Spencer G.; Estep, John W.; Li, Jianjun (2000-01-10). "A new and unusual sphenosuchian (Archosauria: Crocodylomorpha) from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation, People's Republic of China". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 215 (1): 47–68. Bibcode:2000NJGPA.215...47H. doi:10.1127/njgpa/215/2000/47. ISSN 0077-7749.
  8. Wang, Lihua; Clark, James M; Li, Hongqing; Ruebenstahl, Alex; Bi, Shundong (2025-06-02). "A new specimen of the early branching crocodyliform Platyognathus hsui extends the record of gobiosuchids back 67 million years". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 204 (2). doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf032. ISSN 0024-4082.
  9. Simmons, D.J. (1965). "The non-therapsid reptiles of the Lufeng Basin, Yunnan, China". Fieldiana Geology. 15: 1–93. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.5426.
  10. Raven, Thomas J.; Barrett, Paul M.; Xu, Xing; Maidment, Susannah C.R. (2019). "A reassessment of the purported ankylosaurian dinosaur Bienosaurus lufengensis from the Lower Lufeng Formation of Yunnan, China". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 64 (2): 335–342. doi:10.4202/app.00577.2018. hdl:10141/622543.
  11. "Table 15.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 336.
  12. Junchang, Lü; Kobayashi, Yoshitsugu; Tianguang, Li; Shimin, Zhong (2010). "A New Basal Sauropod Dinosaur from the Lufeng Basin, Yunnan Province, Southwestern China". Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition). 84 (6): 1336–1342. Bibcode:2010AcGlS..84.1336L. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00332.x.
  13. "48.3 Yunnan, People's Republic of China; 1. Dull Purplish Beds of the Lower Lufeng Series and 2. Dark Red Beds of the Lower Lufeng Series" in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 534.
  14. "48.3 Yunnan, People's Republic of China; 1. Dull Purplish Beds of the Lower Lufeng Series," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 534.
  15. "Table 12.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 234.
  16. "Table 12.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 236.
  17. Zhang, Q.; Jia, L.; Wang, T.; Zhang, Y.; You, H. (2024). "The largest sauropodomorph skull from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of China". PeerJ. 12 e18629. e18629. doi:10.7717/peerj.18629. PMC 11646418. PMID 39677945.
  18. Chen, Xiang-Yuan; Wang, Ya-Ming; Zhang, Qian-Nan; Wang, Tao; You, Hai-Lu (2025). "A new species of Xingxiulong (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha) from the lower Jurassic Lufeng formation of Yunnan Province, China". Historical Biology. 0: 1–10. doi:10.1080/08912963.2025.2458130. ISSN 0891-2963.
  19. Zhang, Qian-Nan; You, Hai-Lu; Wang, Tao; Chatterjee, Sankar (2018-09-07). "A new sauropodiform dinosaur with a 'sauropodan' skull from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of Yunnan Province, China". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 13464. Bibcode:2018NatSR...813464Z. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-31874-9. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 6128897. PMID 30194381.
  20. "Table 7.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 152.
  21. Young, C.C. (1948). "Further notes on Gyposaurus sinensis Young". Bulletin of the Geological Society of China. 28 (1–2): 91–103.
  22. M. N. Bien. 1940. Discovery of Triassic saurischian and primitive mammalian remains at Lufeng, Yunnan. Bulletin of the Geological Society of China 20(3/4):225-234
  23. Irmis, R. B. (2004). "First report of Megapnosaurus (Theropoda: Coelophysoidea) from China". PaleoBios. 24 (3): 11–18.
  24. You, Hai-Lu; Azuma, Yoichi; Wang, Tao; Wang, Ya-Ming; Dong, Zhi-Ming (2014). "The first well-preserved coelophysoid theropod dinosaur from Asia". Zootaxa. 3873 (3): 233–49. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3873.3.3. PMID 25544219. Retrieved 2017-09-17.
  25. Luo, Zhe-Xi; Crompton, Alfred W.; Sun, Ai-Lin (2001). "A New Mammaliaform from the Early Jurassic and Evolution of Mammalian Characteristics (Supplementary Information (Hadrocodium wui IVPP8275))". Science. 292 (5521): 1535–1540. Bibcode:2001Sci...292.1535L. doi:10.1126/science.1058476. PMID 11375489. S2CID 8738213. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  26. Luo, Zhe-Xi; Crompton, Alfred W.; Sun, Ai-Lin (2001). "A New Mammaliaform from the Early Jurassic and Evolution of Mammalian Characteristics" (PDF). Science. 292 (5521): 1535–1540. Bibcode:2001Sci...292.1535L. doi:10.1126/science.1058476. PMID 11375489. S2CID 8738213. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-20.
  27. Cui, G. H. (1976). "Yunnania, a new tritylodont genus from Lufeng, Yunnan". Vertebrata PalAsiatica. 25: 1–7.
  28. Cui, G. H. (1986). "Yunnanodon, a replacement name for Yunnania Cui, 1976". Gu Jizhui Dongwu Yu Gu Renlei Vertebr. PalAsiatica. 24: 9.

Bibliography

  • Barrett, P.M.; Xu X. (2005). "Reassessment of Dianchungosaurus lufengensis Yang, 1982, an enigmatic reptile from the Lower Lufeng Formation (Lower Jurassic) of Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China". Journal of Paleontology. 79 (5): 981–986. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2005)079[0981:ARODLY]2.0.CO;2.
  • Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.