Lufeng Formation

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]

Lufeng Formation
Stratigraphic range: Hettangian-Pliensbachian ~201–183 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Shawan & Zhangjia'ao Members
Underlies	Chuanjie Formation
Overlies	Precambrian slate basement
Thickness	over 300 metres (980 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Siltstone
Other	Sandstone
Location
Coordinates	25.0°N 102.1°E / 25.0; 102.1
Approximate paleocoordinates	34.3°N 104.6°E / 34.3; 104.6
Region	Yunnan
Country	China
Extent	Yunnan Basin
Lufeng Formation (China) Show map of China Lufeng Formation (Yunnan) Show map of Yunnan

Paleofauna

Rhynchocephalians

Rhynchocephalians reported from the Lufeng Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes
Clevosaurus[3]	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
Dianchungosaurus[4]	D. lufengensis[4]	Yunnan[4]	Dark Red Beds[4]		Formerly considered an ornithopod dinosaur.

Ornithischians

Indeterminate ornithopod remains Yunnan. Dark Red Beds.^[2]

Ornithischians reported from the Lufeng Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes
Bienosaurus[4][5]	B. lufengensis[4]	Yunnan[4]	Dark Red Beds[4]	A right "[d]entary with teeth,"[6] 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.
Tatisaurus[4]	T. oehleri[4]	Yunnan[4]	Dark Red Beds[4]	"Isolated dentary."[6]

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
Chuxiongosaurus[7]	C. lufengensis[7]	Yunnan[7]		"Skull[7]		"Gyposaurus" sinensis Jingshanosaurus Lishulong Lufengosaurus Xingxiulong Yunnanosaurus
Gyposaurus[8]	G. sinensis[8]	Yunnan[8]	Dark Red Beds[4] Dull Purplish Beds[9]	"[Two] skeletons, [one] with partial skull, [two] partial skeletons, [three] skull fragments, adult."[10]
Fulengia[4]	F. youngi[4]	Yunnan[4]	Dark Red Beds[4]	"Skull."[11]
Jingshanosaurus[9]	J. xinwaensis[9]	Yunnan[9]	Dull Purplish Beds[9]	"Complete skeleton with skull, adult."[10]
"Kunmingosaurus"[4]	"K. wusdingensis"[4]	Yunnan[4]	Dark Red Beds[4]		nomen nudum
Lishulong[12]	L. wangi[12]	Yunnan[12]	Shawan Member[12]	Skull and cervical vertebrae 2–10[12]
Lufengosaurus[8]	L. huenei[8]	Yunnan[8]	Dark Red Beds[4] Dull Purplish[9]		"(including Gyposaurus sinensis, L. magnus)"[2]
	L. magnus[8]	Yunnan[8]	Dark Red Beds[4] Dull Purplish[9]
Tawasaurus[4]	T. minor[4]	Yunnan[4]	Dark Red Beds[4]
Xingxiulong	X. chengi	Yunnan
	X. yueorum[13]	Yunnan	Zhangjiaao Member	LF2015-NO01, an articulated postcranial skeleton
Yizhousaurus[14]	Y. sunae	Yunnan	Zhangjiaao Member	Partial skeleton with skull
Yunnanosaurus[8]	Y. huangi[8]	Yunnan[8]	Dark Red Beds[4] Dull Purplish[9]	"More than [twenty] partial to complete skeletons, [two] skulls, juvenile to adult."[11]
	Y. robustus[8]	Yunnan[8]	Dark Red Beds[4] Dull Purplish[9]

Theropods

Theropods reported from the Lower Lufeng Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Eshanosaurus[9]	E. deguchiianus[9]	Yunnan[9]	Dull Purplish Beds[9]	"Dentary."[15]	Possible therizinosaur	Sinosaurus triassicus
Lukousaurus[8]	L. yini[8]	Yunnan[8]	Dark Red Beds[4] Dull Purplish Beds[9]	Holotype skull, tooth[16] Three bone fragments[17]	Possible crocodylomorph[18]
Sinosaurus[8]	S. triassicus[8]	Yunnan[8]	Dark Red Beds[4] Dull Purplish Beds[9]	Maxillary fragments, teeth, and a lower jaw fragment Incomplete skull and other post-cranial fragments	Dilophosaurus sinensis specimen Now included in Sinosaurus
Panguraptor[19]	P. lufengensis[19]	Yunnan[19]	Dull Purplish Beds[19]	Partial skeleton[19]	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
Dianzhongia	D. longirostrata				A tritylodontid
Hadrocodium[20]	H. wui[20]	Yunnan[20]	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.[21]
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
Yunnanodon[22][23]	Y. brevirostre[22]	Yunnan[22]	Dark Red Beds		A tritylodontid

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations