Xujiachong Formation

The Xujiachong Formation is an early Devonian formation from China. It preserves a wide range of plant and fish fossils, many being only known from this formation.

Xujiachong Formation
Stratigraphic range: Pragian
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Chuandong Formation
Overlies	Guijiatun Formation
Location
Region	Yunnan
Country	China

Paleobiota

Plants

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.

Plants
Genus	Species	Higher taxon	Notes	Images
Adoketophyton	A. subverticillatum	Lycophyta	Synonymous with “Zosterophyllum spathulatum”[1]	Adoketophyton reconstruction
Bracteophyton	B. variatum	Tracheophyta incertae sedis	Resembles lycophytes somewhat, but likely not one itself.[2]
Drepanophycus	D. qujingensis	Drepanophycales	Formerly placed within D. spinaeformis[3]
Guangnania	G. cuneata	Zosterophyllopsida	Unclear whether it truly is a zosterophyll, somewhat similar to Yunia[4]
Hedeia	H. sinica	Progymnospermopsida	Resembles both seed plants and trimerophytes[4]
Hsua	H. robusta, H. deflexa[5]	Rhyniophyta?[4]
Huia	H. gracilis	Zosterophyllales?	More slender than the type species[6]
Zosterophyllum	Z. yunnanicum, Z. australianum[7]	Zosterophyllales	Used to date the Xujiachong Formation[8]	Z. sp reconstruction

Animals

Animals
Genus	Species	Higher taxon	Notes	Images
Eugaleaspis	E. xujiachongensis[9]	Galeaspida	Formerly placed under “Galeaspis”, but this genus was preoccupied by the trilobite Galeaspis.
Gantarostrataspis	G. gengi	Galeaspida	Mostly known from the Posongchong Formation[10]
Mizia	M. longhuaensis, M. parvus	Yunnanolepididae	M. parvus formerly placed within Yunnanolepis[11]	M. longhuaensis reconstruction
Neopetalichthys[12]	N. yenmenpaensis	Petalichthyida	Relatively basal member of the clade[13]	N. yenmenpaensis reconstruction
Pampetalichthys	P. longhuaensis	Petalichthyida	Formerly classed as “Holopetalichthys”[14][15]
Pterogonaspis	P. yuhaii	Galeaspida	Similar to Tridenaspis[16]
Qushiaspis	Q. elaia	Galeaspida	Most basal member of Gantarostrataspididae.[17]
Sanqiaspis	S. rostrata	Galeaspida	Another species known from Vietnam[18]
Sanchaspis	S. magalarostrata	Galeaspida	Bears an unusual mushroom-shaped rostrum[19]
Szelepis	S. yunnanensis	Actinolepididae	Redescribed in 2017[20]
Xichonolepis	X. qujingensis[21]	Sinolepidae (Antiarchi)
Youngolepis	Y. praecursor	Dipnoi	Known from various other formations in early Devonian China[22]	Y. praecursor fossil