Earth:Qiupa Formation
| Qiupa Formation Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian ~72–66 Ma | |
|---|---|
Characteristic red brownish siltstones of the Qiupa Formation | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Tantou Group |
| Underlies | Gaoyugou Formation |
| Overlies | Shitaijie Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Mudstone, siltstone |
| Other | Sandstone, conglomerate |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | [ ⚑ ] : 33°54′N 111°48′E / 33.9°N 111.8°E |
| Paleocoordinates | [ ⚑ ] 31°36′N 102°48′E / 31.6°N 102.8°E |
| Region | Henan Province |
| Country | China |
| Extent | Tantou Basin |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Qiupa |
The Qiupa Formation (Chinese: 秋扒组; pinyin: Qiūpázǔ) is a Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian geologic formation in Henan Province, central China. It is rich in dinosaur eggs and bones, such as those of carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs. The Qiupa Formation is considered to be Late Maastrichtian in age, about 72 million and 66 million years ago.[1][2][3]
Geology
The sedimentation is characterized for the presence of calcareous mudstone interbedded with thin fine conglomerates, brownish red thick-bedded siltstone and parallel and cross laminations. This sedimentation indicates habitats composed by large and shallow meanders with braided river deltas.[2][3]
Fossil content
The Qiupa Formation has yielded numerous dinosaur fossils, particularly eggs. The remains of various theropods such as troodontids, dromaeosaurids and oviraptorosaurs have been found. In addition, indeterminate remains of sauropods, ornithopods, ankylosaurs, lizards, turtles and a possible avian bone are reported.[4][2][5] Therizinosaurids Protoceratopsids, and medium sized sauropods are also known from the Qiupa Formation [5]
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Dinosaurs
Ornithischians
| Ornithischians of the Qiupa Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Ankylosauridae indet.[6] | Indeterminate | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | A tooth, a well-preserved dorsal vertebra, an incomplete dorsal rib, and an ischium. | A ankylosaurid ankylosaur | |
Theropods
| Theropods of the Qiupa Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Luanchuanraptor[7] | L. henanensis | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Teeth, a frontal, and fragmented postcrania. | A velociraptorine dromaeosaurid | |
| Macroolithus[8] | M. yaotunensis | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | One partial clutch containing eight complete eggs and numerous fragments. | An elongatoolithid, most likely laid by Yulong mini. | |
| Qiupalong[9] | Q. henanensis | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Partial skeleton preserving the pelvis and the right hindlimb. | A ornithomimid ornithomimosaur | |
| Qiupanykus[3] | Q. zhangi | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Partial skeleton with vertebrae and hindlimbs. | A parvicursorine alvarezsaurid | |
| "Tyrannosaurus"[10] | T. luanchuanensis | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Five teeth. | A tyrannosaurine tyrannosaurid; junior synonymous with Tarbosaurus bataar. | |
| Yulong[11][12] | Y. mini | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Many juvenile specimens and one subadult skeleton. | A oviraptorid oviraptorosaur | |
| Yuornis[13] | Y. junchangi | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Partial skeleton. | A enantiornithinean bird | |
Squamates
| Squamates of the Qiupa Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Funiusaurus[14][15] | F. luanchuanensis | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Several cranial and postcranial remains. | A polyglyphanodontian lizard | |
| Tianyusaurus[16] | T. zhengi | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Skull and shoulder girdle. | A polyglyphanodontian lizard | |
| Zhongyuanxi[17] | Z. jiai | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Partial skull. | A paleoanguimorphan anguimorph | |
Mammals
| Mammals of the Qiupa Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Lotheridium[18] | L. mengi | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Nearly complete skull with jaws. | A deltatheroidan metatherian | |
| Yubaatar[19] | Y. zhongyuanensis | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | "Virtually complete crania and fragmented poscrania". | A taeniolabidoid multituberculate | 250px |
Oofossils
| Oofossils of the Qiupa Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Elongatoolithidae sp.[20] | Indeterminate | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | 145 egg shells | Oviraptorid eggs | |
| Macroolithus[21] | M. yaotunensis | Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China | Maastrichtian | Egg clutch | Oviraptorid eggs | |
References
- ↑ Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources of Henan Province (1989). Regional Geology of Henan Province. Beijing: Geological Publishing House. pp. 1−772.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jiang, X.-J.; Liu, Y.-Q.; Ji, S.-A.; Zhang, X.-L.; Xu, L.; Jia, S.-H.; Lü, J.-C.; Yuan, C.-X. et al. (2011). "Dinosaur-bearing strata and K/T boundary in the Luanchuan-Tantou Basin of western Henan Province, China". Science China Earth Sciences 54 (1149): 1149–1155. doi:10.1007/s11430-011-4186-1. Bibcode: 2011ScChD..54.1149J.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lü, J. C.; Xu, L.; Chang, H. L.; Jia, S. H.; Zhang, J. M.; Gao, D. S.; Zhang, Y. Y.; Zhang, C. J. et al. (2018). "A new alvarezsaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan, Henan Province, central China". China Geology 1 (1): 28–35. doi:10.31035/cg2018005. Bibcode: 2018CGeo....1...28L.
- ↑ Kobayashi, Y.; Lü, J.; Lee, Y.-N.; Xu, L.; Zhang, X. (2008). "A new basal ornithomimid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous in Henan Province of China". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 (supp. 3): 101A. doi:10.1080/02724634.2008.10010459. http://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/12900/1/Gongbusaurus.pdf.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "河南栾川地区晚白垩世脊椎动物群研究进展". 地质通报 40 (7): 1178–1188. 15 July 2021. http://en.cgsjournals.com/article/id/6153fe0bed73f876a05b5cad.
- ↑ Jia, S.-H.; Lü, J.-C.; Xu, L.; Hu, W.-Y.; Li, J.-H.; Zhang, J.-M. (2010). "Discovery and significance of ankylosaur specimens from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation in Luanchuan, Henan, China". Geological Bulletin of China 29 (4): 483–487. http://dzhtb.cgs.cn/article/id/20100401.
- ↑ Lü, J.-C.; Xu, L.; Zhang, X.-L.; Ji, Q.; Jia, S.-H.; Hu, W.-Y.; Zhang, J.-M.; Wu, Y.-H. (2007). "New dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan area, western Henan, China". Geological Bulletin of China 26 (7): 777–786. http://dzhtb.cgs.cn/en/article/id/200707141.
- ↑ Zhu, Xufeng; Chang, Fei; Li, Yu; Zhang, Xuhang; Gao, Diansong; Wang, Qiang; Qiu, Rui; Wang, Xiaolin et al. (2025). "The first discovery of non-avian dinosaur egg clutch (Macroolithus yaotunensis, Elongatoolithidae) from the Upper Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Tantou Basin.". Vertebrata PalAsiatica 63 (2): 159-172. doi:10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250212.
- ↑ Xu, L.; Kobayashi, Y.; Lü, J.-C.; Lee, Y. N.; Liu, Y.; Tanaka, K.; Zhang, X.; Jia, S. et al. (2011). "A new ornithomimid dinosaur with North American affinities from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation in Henan Province of China". Cretaceous Research 32 (2): 213–222. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2010.12.004. Bibcode: 2011CrRes..32..213X.
- ↑ Dong, Zhiming (1979). "Dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of South China" (in zh). Mesozoic and Cenozoic red beds of South China. Beijing: Science Press. pp. 342–350. doi:10.5281/zenodo.162178. https://zenodo.org/records/162178.
- ↑ Lü, J.-C.; Currie, P. J.; Xu, L.; Zhang, X.; Pu, H.; Jia, S. (2013). "Chicken-sized oviraptorid dinosaurs from central China and their ontogenetic implications". Naturwissenschaften 100 (2): 165–175. doi:10.1007/s00114-012-1007-0. PMID 23314810. Bibcode: 2013NW....100..165L.
- ↑ Wei, X.; Kundrát, M.; Xu, L.; Ma, W.; Wu, Y.; Chang, H.; Zhang, J.; Zhou, X. (2022). "A new subadult specimen of oviraptorid Yulong mini (Theropoda: Oviraptorosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan, central China". Cretaceous Research 138 (105261). doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105261. Bibcode: 2022CrRes.13805261W.
- ↑ Xu, Li; Buffetaut, Eric; O'Connor, Jingmai; Zhang, Xingliao; Jia, Songhai; Zhang, Jiming; Chang, Huali; Tong, Haiyan (2021). "A new, remarkably preserved, enantiornithine bird from the Upper Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Henan (central China) and convergent evolution between enantiornithines and modern birds" (in en). Geological Magazine 158 (11): 2087–2094. doi:10.1017/S0016756821000807. ISSN 0016-7568. Bibcode: 2021GeoM..158.2087X. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354585552.
- ↑ Xu, L.; Lü, J.-C.; Jia, S.; Zhang, J.; Pu, H.; Zhang, X. (2014). "A New Lizard (Lepidosauria: Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous of Henan, China". Acta Geologica Sinica 88 (4): 1041–1050. doi:10.1111/1755-6724.12271. Bibcode: 2014AcGlS..88.1041X. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265912600.
- ↑ Dong, Li-Ping; Li, Jie; Chang, Fei; Han, Ye; Liu, Di; Wang, Yuan (2026). "Morphology of Funiusaurus luanchuanensis (Squamata, Polyglyphanodontia) based on new material". Vertebrata PalAsiatica (in press): 1–24. doi:10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.260814. https://www.vertpala.ac.cn/EN/10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.260814.
- ↑ Lü, J.-C.; Ji, S.; Dong, Z.; Wu, X.-C. (2008). "An Upper Cretaceous lizard with a lower temporal arcade". Naturwissenschaften 95 (7): 663–669. doi:10.1007/s00114-008-0364-1. PMID 18338150. Bibcode: 2008NW.....95..663L. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5514468.
- ↑ Xu, L.; Dong, L.; Gao, D.; Li, Y.; Wu, Y.; Chang, F.; Li, J.; Evans, S. (2025). "A new anguimorph lizard from the Upper Cretaceous of Henan Province, China". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 23 (1): 2470790. doi:10.1080/14772019.2025.2470790. Bibcode: 2025JSPal..2370790X.
- ↑ Bi, S.; Jin, X.; Li, S.; Du, T. (2015). "A new Cretaceous Metatherian mammal from Henan, China". PeerJ 3. doi:10.7717/peerj.896. PMID 25893149.
- ↑ Xu, L.; Zhang, X.; Pu, H.; Jia, S.; Zhang, J.; Lü, J.-C.; Meng, J. (2015). "Largest known Mesozoic multituberculate from Eurasia and implications for multituberculate evolution and biology". Scientific Reports 5 (1495). doi:10.1038/srep14950. PMID 26492455. Bibcode: 2015NatSR...514950X.
- ↑ Tanaka, K.; Lü, J.-C.; Kobayashi, Y.; Zelenitsky, D. K.; Xu, L.; Jia, S.; Qin, S.; Tang, M. (2011). "Description and Phylogenetic Position of Dinosaur Eggshells from the Luanchuan Area of Western Henan Province, China". Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 85 (1): 66–74. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2011.00379.x. Bibcode: 2011AcGlS..85...66K.
- ↑ Zhu, X.-F.; Chang, F.; Li, Y.; Zhang, X.-H.; Gao, D.-S.; Wang, Q.; Qiu, R.; Wang, X.-L. et al. (2025). "The first discovery of non-avian dinosaur egg clutch (Macroolithus yaotunensis, Elongatoolithidae) from the Upper Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Tantou Basin". Vertebrata PalAsiatica 63 (2): 159–172. doi:10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250212. https://www.vertpala.ac.cn/EN/10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.250212.





