Lushi Fm

The naming section is located at Menjiapo, Lushi County, Henan; the reference section is located at Zhangmahou Valley, Lushi County. Named by Zhou Mingzhen and Ye Xiangkui in 1957.

Lower part is brownish red, pebbly sandy mudstone alternating with conglomerate; Middle part is light brown mudstone intercalated or alternating with conglomerate; Upper part is dark red mudstone with grayish green sandy mudstone. The total thickness is >400 m.

This formation contains two fossil horizons. One is the upper part of the Lushi Formation. More than 30 mammal fossils were collected in the fossil pit of Wangjiapo near Mengjiapo. Identified by Zhou Mingzhen et al., the important elements are Lushilagus lohoensis, Tsinlingomys youngi, Lushius qinlinensis, Miacis lushiensis, Lohoodon lushiensis, Lunania youngi, Breviodon minutus, Lushiamynodon menchiapuensis, Sianodon honanensis and Gobiohyus orientalis. These fossils are almost all genera and species of the Irdin Manha fauna in the Erlian area, Inner Mongolia. Although some of them have no identical representatives in the Irdin Manha Formation, most of them may be compared with related genera and species therein. Therefore, the ages of the faunas in the two localities are completely the same, being Early to Middle Eocene. The other fossil horizon is the lower part of the Lushi Formation. According to Tong Yongsheng et al.’s report, fossil mammals such as Lophialetes sp., Eudinoceras? sp., Mesonychidae and Uintatheriidae are found in the vicinity of Xiejiagou and Zhangjiacun.