Bahe Fm
Type Locality and Naming
The type section is located at the “Shuijiazui-Wujiapo section” (E109°18′, N34°11′), south side of the Ba River, and east of Wujiapo village, Xiehu town, Lantian County, Shaanxi Province (BGMRS(Shaanxi)P, 1998). It was named by Liu et al. (1960).
Lithology and Thickness
It mainly consists of brownish-red and orange mudstones and sandy mudstones interbedded with concolorous sandstones and gravels. Its bottom conglomerates or greyish-white sandstones, brownish-red mudstones are not common. It contains fossil mammals, ostracods, gastropods, charophytes, and sporopollens. Its thickness is in range of 10~362 m.
Relationships and Distribution
Lower contact
In the type section, the Bahe Fm unconformably contacts with the underlying Middle Miocene Koujiacun Fm. But see Lengshuigou Fm, which has been interpreted as the younger formation above the Koujiacun Fm and underlying the Bahe Fm.
Upper contact
In the type section, the Bahe Fm unconformably is overlain by the Upper Miocene to Pliocene Jiulaopo Fm.
Regional extent
The lithology and thickness of this formation vary in different area. In Lengshui-Hongqing gullies of the basin center, this formation is characterized by greyish-white sandstones with small amount brownish-yellow sandy mudstones and calcareous nodules; in Lintong-Lantian area, the mudstones are thicker; in Youhe-Guapo area, it is dominated by sandy mudstones with small amount sandstones; at the edge of basin, it is mainly formed by diluvial gravels. From south to north, its thickness decreases from over 300 m to scores meters. This formation is mainly distributed to Lantian-Weinan area, Shaanxi Province.
GeoJSON
Fossils
Mammals: cf. Metailurus major, ? Adacrocuta eximia, Dinocrocuta gigantean, Hipparion chiai, H. weihoense, H. spp., Chalicotheriidae gen. et sp. indet., cf. Brachypotherium sp., cf. Chilotherium sp., Chilotherium gracile, Chilotherium indet., Acerorhinus indet., Metacervulus indet., Paleotragus cf. P. decipiens, P. microdon, Schansithrium cf. S. tafelli, Gazella spp., Gazella cf. G. lydekkeri, Dorcadoryx triquetriconis, Shaanxispira chowi, Protoryx spp., Lantiantragus longirostralis, Tetralophodon exoletus, Talpidae gen. et sp. indet., Eriaceus sp., Soriceidae gen. et sp. indet., ? Pseudoaplodon sp., Eutamias sp., Sciurotamias lishanensis, Sciurotamias pusillus, Sciurus sp., Lophocircetus xianensis, Lophocriectus sp., Protolactaga lantianensis, Paralactaga sp., Salpingotus primitivus, Cardiocranius pusillus, Myocricetodon lantianensis, M. liui, Abudhabia baheensis, Nannocricetus primitivus, Kowalskia indet., Pararhizomys qinensis, Progonomys sinensis, Muridae gen. et sp. indet., Ochotona cf. O. lagreli (Zhang et al., 2002; Zhang et al., 2013 in Wang et al., 2013).
Age
Depositional setting
It is interpreted as river environment.
Additional Information