Bissekty Formation

Coordinates: 42°06′N 62°42′E / 42.1°N 62.7°E / 42.1; 62.7
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Bissekty Formation
Ma
Type
Xorazm Regions
Country Uzbekistan
ExtentKyzylkum Desert

The Bissekty Formation (sometimes referred to as Bissekt) is a

Period. Laid down in the mid to late Turonian, it is dated to about 92 to 90 Ma (million years ago).[1]

Description

The lithology of the sediment largely consists of cross bedded sandstones with interbeds of massive sandstone, well cemented intraformational conglomerate, siltstones and mudstones. Most of the fossils are found as clasts within the conglomerates.[2]

Fossil content

The Bissekty Formation is characterised by a mix of

freshwater, and terrestrial animal fossils. This stands in contrast the strictly marine fossils found in the underlying Dzheirantui Formation, and indicates that the Bissekty was formed during the regression of a saltwater sea. The coastline expanded inland again in the upper portion of the Bissekty, represented by a proportional increase of fully aquatic species, which were almost completely absent from the middle period of the formation. Semi-aquatic species remained abundant during this middle period, and the geology of the formations indicates that a braided river system took the place of the coastline. Eventually the area was again completely underwater, during the time period represented by the later Aitym Formation, which preserves coastal marine sediments.[2]

Vertebrates

The Bissekty Formation is notable for preserving the most abundant Turonian land animal fossils in Eurasia, and the most diverse fauna of Late Cretaceous eutherians (placental mammals and relatives) in the world.[2]

Listings and accompanying information are based on a survey of the Bissekty Formation published by Cory Redman and Lindsey Leighton in 2009 unless otherwise noted.

freshwater
unless otherwise noted.

Amphibians

An indeterminate species of salamander-like albanerpetontid amphibian. An indeterminate gobiatid species.

Amphibians
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes
Aralobatrachus A. robustus A frog
Eoscapherpeton E. asiaticum A scapherpetontid salamander
Gobiates G. sosedkoi A gobiatid frog
Gobiates spp. Additional indeterminate species of Gobiates
Itemirella I. cretacea A possible
discoglossid
frog
Kizylkuma K. antiqua A possible discoglossid marine frog
Mynbulakia
M. surgai A batrachosauroidid salamander

Cartilaginous fish

Cartilaginous fishes
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Cretodus C. crassidens A marine
Lamniform shark
Cretodus_crassidens
Heterodontus
Indeterminate A marine bullhead shark
Hornhai_(Heterodontus_francisci)
Hispidaspis Indeterminate A sand shark tolerant of brackish water
Hybodus Indeterminate A
hybodontid
tolerant of brackish water
Ischyrhiza I. serra A
sclerorhynchid
tolerant of brackish water
Myledaphus M. tritus A rhinobatoid tolerant of brackish water
Myledaphus_skeleton
Polyacrodus Indeterminate A polyacrodontid tolerant of brackish water
Scapanorhynchus S. rhaphiodon A goblin shark tolerant of brackish water

Crocodylomorphs

Crocodylomorphs of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes
Kansajsuchus K. borealis A possible goniopholidid mesoeucrocodylian
Tadzhikosuchus T. macrodentis A possible
alligatoroid
eusuchian
Zholsuchus Z. procevus A possible mesoeucrocodylian
Zhyrasuchus Z. angustifrons A possible eusuchian

Lizards

An indeterminate gekkonid. An indeterminate priscagamid. An indeterminate scincid.

Lizards of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes
Buckantaus B. crassidens A macrocephalosaurid
Ekshmer E. bissektensis A priscagamid

Mammals and other therapsids

Mammaliaformes of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes
Aspanlestes A. aptap A zhelestid
Bulaklestes B. kezbe An asioryctitherian
Daulestes D. inobservabilis An asioryctitherian
D. kulbeckensis An asioryctitherian
Eoungulatum E. kudukensis A zhelestid
Kulbeckia K. kulbecke A zalambdalestid
Paranyctoides P. quadrans An eutherian
Parazhelestes P. mynbulakensis A zhelestid
P. robustus A zhelestid
Shalbaatar S. bakht A symmetrodont
Sulestes S. karakshi A deltatheroid
Uchkudukodon U. nessovi An asioryctitherian
Uzbekbaatar U. kizylkumensis A cimolodont
Zhelestes Z. temirkazyk A zhelestid

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Plesiosauria
Indeterminate
Marine, possibly tolerant of brackish water

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Azhdarcho A. lancicollis Dzhara-Kuduk Taykarshinskaya unit An azhdarchid

Ray-finned fish

An indeterminate acipenserid. An indeterminate albulid (bonefish) species. An indeterminate albulid (bonefish) species. An indeterminate pholidophoriform species.

Ray-finned fish
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Aidachar A. paludalis An ichthyodectiform tolerant of brackish water
"
Amia
"
"A." limosa A bowfin tolerant of brackish water, Nomen dubium[3]
Atractosteus A. turanensis A gar tolerant of brackish water
Belonostomus B. aciculifer An aspidorhynchid
Psephuroides P. kazakhorum A paddlefish

Dinosaurs

Sauropods
Sauropod dinosaurs of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Description Images
Dzharatitanis D. kingi An anterior caudal vertebra. Originally described as a
titanosaur[4]
Titanosauria Indeterminate CCMGE 628/12457, a braincase
Ornithischians
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.
Ornithischians reported from the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Description Images
Amtosaurus A. archibaldi[5] Reclassified as Bissektipelta[6]
Bactrosaurus B. kyslkumensis "Fragmentary dentary [=maxilla], vertebrae, tibia."[7] Nomen dubium
Bissektipelta B. archibaldi[6] "Partial skull."[8] An ankylosaur
Cionodon C. kyslkumensis[5] Reclassified as Bactrosaurus kyslkumensis[6]
Gilmoreosaurus G. arkhangelskyi Nomen dubium
Levnesovia L. transoxiana "Braincases" A hadrosauroid
Turanoceratops[5] T. tardabilis[5] A ceratopsian[9]
Theropods

An indeterminate tyrannosauroid species, known from isolated teeth.[10]

Charcharodontosaurid
Carcharodontosaurs
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Description Images
Carcharodontosauridae Indeterminate A partial posterior dorsal vertebra[11]
Ulughbegsaurus U. uzbekistanensis A left maxilla, the ramus end of a left maxilla, and the posterior end of a right maxilla. A probable carcharodontosaurid theropod
Enantiornithines
Enantiornithines
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Description Images
Abavornis A. bonaparti Known from a partial coracoid[12] A possible enantiornithine.[12] A possible second species of Abavornis in the Bissekty Formation is known from a partial coracoid.[12]
Catenoleimus C. anachoretus A possible enantiornithine
Explorornis E. nessovi An enantiornithine. Possible third and fourth species of Explorornis in the Bissekty Formation are known from partial coracoids.[12]
E. walkeri "Coracoid"[13]
Ichthyornis I. minusculus "Dorsal vertebra"[14] An enantiornithine originally but incorrectly identified as a species of Ichthyornis.[15]
Incolornis I. martini Known from a partial coracoid[12] A possible enantiornithine[12]
I. silvae Known from a partial coracoid[12] A possible enantiornithine[12]
Kizylkumavis[5] K. cretacea[5] "Distal humerus"[13] An enantiornithine
Kuszholia K. mengi "[Two] synsacra"[16] An enantiornithine
Lenesornis[5] L. maltshevskyi[5] "Synsacrum"[13] A possible enantiornithine
cf. Nanantius An enantiornithine, similar to Nanantius eos
Sazavis[5] S. prisca[5] "Distal tibiotarsus"[17] An enantiornithine
Zhyraornis[5] Z. kashkarovi[5] "Synsacrum"[17]
Z. logunovi[5] "Synsacrum"[17]
Other Theropods
Non-Enantiornithine
Theropod dinosaurs
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Description Images
Caenagnathasia C. martinsoni' "[Two] partial mandibles"[18] An
caenagnathid
Dzharacursor D. bissektensis Right femur of a juvenile (holotype) with partial cranial and postcranial material[19] An ornithomimosaur originally assigned to Archaeornithomimus.
Dzharaonyx D. eski An alvarezsaur
Euronychodon E. asiaticus A possible troodontid based on isolated teeth[20][21][22]
Itemirus I. medullaris A single small, damaged fossil braincase A
dromaeosaurine
Platanavis[5] P. nana[5] "Sacrum"[14]
Therizinosauroidea spp.[23]
Indeterminate Partial crania also preserving some teeth and some postcranial elements including pedal bones (from multiple individuals) At least two different
therizinosauroids
Timurlengia[24] T. euotica Two braincases, dentary, and miscellaneous postcranial elements (from multiple individuals) A non-
tyrannosauroid
Urbacodon Unnamed species A troodontid, known from isolated teeth[25]
Zhyraornis Z. kashkarovi A possible ornithurine

Turtles

An indeterminate trionychid (soft-shell) turtle species that was tolerant of brackish water.

Turtles of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes
"Adocus" "Adocus" aksary An adocid tolerant of brackish water
Anatolemys Indeterminate A "macrobaenid" tolerant of brackish water
Khunnuchelys K. kizylkumensis A trionychid tolerant of brackish water
Lindholmemys L. elegans A "lindholmemydid" tolerant of brackish water
Shachemys S. ancestralis An adocid tolerant of brackish water

Invertebrates

An indeterminate species of marine coral.

Arthropods

Arthropods
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes
Linuparus L. dzheirantuiensis
Marine
A spiny lobster

Molluscs

An indeterminate species of marine placenticeratid ammonite. An indeterminate species of marine teredinid shipworm. An indeterminate marine trigoniid bivalve. An indeterminate marine veneroid bivalve.

Molluscs
of the Bissekty Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes
Crassatelites Indeterminate A marine crassatellid bivalve
Mytiloides M. labiatus A marine inoceramid bivalve
Plagiostoma Indeterminate A marine limoid bivalve
Quadratotrigonia Indeterminate A marine trigoniid bivalve
Xylophaga Indeterminate An indeterminate species of marine shipworm

References

  1. ISSN 0195-6671
    .
  2. ^ a b c d Redman & Leighton, 2009
  3. .
  4. .
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Dinosaur distribution (Bissekty Formation)." Weishampel, et al. (2004). Pg. 594.
  6. ^ a b c Averianov, 2002
  7. ^ "Table 20.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 442.
  8. ^ "Table 17.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 367.
  9. ^ Sues & Averianov, 2009
  10. ^ Archibald, James David; Sues, Hans-Dieter; Averianov, Alexander; King, Chris; Ward, David John; Tsaruk, Oleg; Danilov, Igor; Rezvyi, Anton; Veretennikov, Boris; Khodjaev, Anvar (1998). "Precis of the Cretaceous paleontology, biostratigtaphy and sedimentology at Dzharakuduk (Turonian?-Santonian), Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan". Bulletin of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. 14: 21–27.
  11. ISSN 0891-2963
    .
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Panteleev (1998). ""New species of enantiornithines (Aves: Enantiornithes) from the Upper Cretaceous of Central Kyzylkum." Russkii Ornitologicheskii Zhurnal". Ekspress-vy.PVSK. 35: 3–15.
  13. ^ a b c "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 213.
  14. ^ a b "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 216.
  15. ^ Kurochkin. (1996). "A new Enantiornithid of the Mongolian Late Cretaceous, and a general appraisal of the Infraclass Enantiornithes (Aves)." Russian Academy of Sciences, special issue: 50pp.
  16. ^ "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 212.
  17. ^ a b c "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 214.
  18. ^ "Table 8.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 166.
  19. .
  20. ^ "Table 10.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 199.
  21. ^ "Table 9.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 185.
  22. ^ Nesov, A. (1995). "Dinosaurs of Northern Eurasia: new data about assemblages, ecology and paleobiogeography." Scientific Research Institute of the Earth's Crust. St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia: 156 pp. + 14 pl. [in Russian with short English, German, and French abstracts].
  23. .
  24. .
  25. .

Bibliography

Further reading