Geological ages of dinosaur-track-bearing formations in China

Abstract

In China more than 30 forms of dinosaur tracks at about 50 localities distributed in 16 provinces have been reported. These fossil footprints have been found in 25 Upper Triassic to Upper Cretaceous formations. They are the Xujiahe Formation (Upper Triassic), Zhenzhuchong and Ziliujing formations (Lower Jurassic), Xintiangou and Lower Shaximiao formations (Middle Jurassic), Penglaizhen Formation (Upper Jurassic), and Jiaguan and Daergun formations (Upper Cretaceous) in the Sichuan Basin; the Fengjiahe Formation (Lower Jurassic) and Jiangdihe Formation (Upper Cretaceous) in the central Yunnan Basin; the Zhiluo Formation (Middle Jurassic) and Fengjiashan Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in Shaanxi Province; the Jingchuan Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in Inner Mongolia; the Houcheng Formation (Upper Jurassic) and Jiufotang Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in northern Hebei; the Tuchengzi Formation (Upper Jurassic) and Fuxin Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in western Liaoning; the Laiyang Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in the Shandong Peninsula; the Tongfosi Formation (Cretaceous) in eastern Jilin Province; the Hekou Group (Lower Cretaceous) in Gansu; and the Xiaodong, Qiyunshan, and Nanxiong formations (Upper Cretaceous) in Hunan, Anhui, and Guangdong provinces, respectively. The invertebrate and vertebrate fossils including tetrapod footprints reported from some of these formations are outlined and their biostratigraphic significance and utility for correlation are discussed.