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The Tangbian Formation is a geological formation in Jiangxi Province, east China. While its absolute age is uncertain, it has been estimated to represent Late Cretaceous (Campanian to Maastrichtian age) sediments. Dinosaur bones and eggs are among the fossils recovered from the formation.

Geology and paleoenvironment

During the Cretaceous, the Tangbian Formation was an aeolian dune desert (modern Taklamakan Desert pictured)

The Tangbian Formation is known from outcrops in the Xinjiang Basin of Jiangxi Province, southeastern China. It is part of the Late Cretaceous Guifeng Group, underlain by the Hekou Formation and overlain by the Lianhe Formation in that group. The formations age is uncertain,with a Campanian having been proposed.[1][2] However the units of the Guifeng Group(Hekou,Tangbian & Lianhe Formations) are regarded as being deposited coevally. [3][4] The Hekou and Lianhe Formations are regarded as Maastrichtian in age and the Guifeng Group is paleomagnetically dated to 71-65 million years old.[5][6] Thus a Maastrichtian age is also likely. The formation comprises thick beds of fine-grained red-purple sandstone interbedded with mudstone, calcareous sandstone, and siltstone, and was deposited in an aeolian (wind-driven) setting representing a desert environment.[7][8][9]

Fossil content

The Tangbian Formation contains a rich record of dinosaur egg fossils and embryos. Most of the known egg clutches can be associated with oviraptorosaurs, although rarer egg fossils are known from hadrosaurs, troodontids, and possibly dromaeosaurids.[10][11]

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.
Genus Species Region Material Notes Images
Caninosaurus[12] C. ganzhouensis Incomplete skull and mandible A polyglyphanodont lizard with caniniform upper teeth

Huaxiazhoulong[2]

H. shouwen

Longxi Village, Guangchang County

Partial well-preserved skeleton

An ankylosaurid ankylosaur

Minioolithus[10]

M. ganzhouensis

Meilin Village, Ganxian District

Clutch of six eggs

Classified as belonging to the Ovaloolithidae, likely laid by a theropod dinosaur

Stromatoolithus[13]

S. pinglingensis

Ganxian and Nankang districts

Eggshell fragments

References

  1. ^ Xi, Dangpeng; Wan, Xiaoqiao; Li, Guobiao; Li, Gang (2019). “Cretaceous integrative stratigraphy and timescale of China”. Science China Earth Sciences. 62 (1): 256–286. Bibcode:2019ScChD..62..256X. doi:10.1007/s11430-017-9262-y. ISSN 1674-7313.
  2. ^ a b Zhu, Ziheng; Wu, Jie; You, Yue; Jia, Yingli; Chen, Chujiao; Yao, Xi; Zheng, Wenjie; Xu, Xing (2024-11-08). “A new ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Jiangxi Province, southern China”. Historical Biology: 1–17. doi:10.1080/08912963.2024.2417208. ISSN 0891-2963.
  3. ^ Cao, S. (2023). “Ultra-long-distance transport of aeolian sand: the provenance of an intermontane desert, SE China” (PDF). {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 51 (help)
  4. ^ Xing, Lida; Niu, Kecheng; Ma, Waisum; Zelenitsky, Darla K.; Yang, Tzu-Ruei; Brusatte, Stephen L. (2022-01-21). “An exquisitely preserved in-ovo theropod dinosaur embryo sheds light on avian-like prehatching postures”. iScience. 25 (1). doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.103516. ISSN 2589-0042. PMID 35106456.
  5. ^ Lida, Xing (2022). “Hadrosauroid eggs and embryos from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Jiangxi Province, China” (PDF). {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 30 (help)
  6. ^ Wu, Rui; Niu, Kecheng; Zhang, Shukang; Xue, Yu; Han, Fenglu (2024-09-01). “A new ootype of putative dromaeosaurid eggs from the Upper Cretaceous of southern China”. Cretaceous Research. 161: 105909. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105909. ISSN 0195-6671.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)
  7. ^ Jiang, Xinsheng; Pan, Zhongxi; Xu, Jinsha; Li, Xiaoyong; Xie, Guogang; Xiao, Zhijian (2008). “Late Cretaceous aeolian dunes and reconstruction of palaeo-wind belts of the Xinjiang Basin, Jiangxi Province, China”. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 257 (1–2): 58–66. Bibcode:2008PPP…257…58J. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.09.012.
  8. ^ Zhang, Shouxin, ed. (2009), “Tangbian Formation (塘边组)”, Geological Formation Names of China (1866–2000), Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, p. 1075, doi:10.1007/978-3-540-93824-8_7612, ISBN 978-3-540-93824-8{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  9. ^ Jiao, Haijing; Wu, Chihua; Rodríguez-López, Juan Pedro; Sun, Xiaoming; Yi, Haisheng (2020-10-01). “Late Cretaceous plateau deserts in the South China Block, and Quaternary analogues; sedimentology, dune reconstruction and wind-water interactions”. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 120 104504. doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104504. ISSN 0264-8172.
  10. ^ a b Wu, Rui; Lou, Fasheng; Yu, Juan; Xue, Yu; Zhang, Shukang; Yang, Ling; Qiu, Wenjiang; Wang, Huimin; Han, Fenglu (2024-10-14). “The smallest known complete dinosaur fossil eggs from the Upper Cretaceous of South China”. Historical Biology: 1–10. doi:10.1080/08912963.2024.2409873. ISSN 0891-2963.
  11. ^ Yu, Cheng-Tao; Fan, Xiu-Jun (2022). “赣州盆地梅林—茅店恐龙蛋化石产地分布及赋存地层特征” [Distribution of Dinosaur Egg Fossils and Occurrence Stratigraphic Characteristics of Meilin—Maodian,Ganzhou Basin]. Journal of Hebei GEO University (in Chinese). 45 (4): 6–12.
  12. ^ Wang, Mengli; Dong, Liping; Yu, Juan; Lou, Fasheng; Qiu, Wenjiang; Han, Fenglu (19 Jun 2025). “A new borioteiioid lizard with large caniniform tooth from the Upper Cretaceous of South China”. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 23 (1) 2509637. doi:10.1080/14772019.2025.2509637. ISSN 1477-2019.
  13. ^ Qiu, W.; Hua, H.; Zhao, K.; Yao, H.; Han, F.; Wu, R. (2025). “The first discovery of Stromatoolithus pinglingensis in the Ganzhou Basin and a revision of Paraspheroolithus porcarboris“. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology: 1–10. doi:10.1080/08912963.2025.2581783.