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Yanguoxia Formation
Click to display on map of the Ancient World at:
Yanguoxia Fm base reconstruction

Yanguoxia Fm


Period: 
Cretaceous

Age Interval: 
Early Cretaceous, (14a)


Province: 
Gansu, Qinghai

Type Locality and Naming

Xining-Lanzhou-Minhe Basin. Lower-Middle formation in Hekou Gr .


Lithology and Thickness

"Yanguoxia Formation is mainly comprised of red sandstone, siltstone and thick sequence of variegated colors of shales. This formation preserved dinosaur fossils, dinosaur footprints, etc." Details and images at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327499714_Petrography_geochemistry_and_provenance_of_the_sediments_of_the_Early_Cretaceous_Yanguoxia_Formation_Lanzhou-Minhe_Basin_Northwest_China [accessed Nov 13 2021], by Dingding Du et al., 2018.


Lithology Pattern: 
Sandstone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Conformable contact with Zhujiatai Fm

Upper contact

Next younger unit is the Hongkucheng Fm of lower Albian

Regional extent


GeoJSON

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Fossils

Plentiful dinosaur footprints


Age 

Shown as mid-Hauterivian through Aptian by Dangpeng Xi, Xiaoqiao Wan, et al. (2019; Integrated Stratigraphy and TimeScale of China).

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Hauterivian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.5

    Beginning date (Ma): 
129.55

    Ending stage: 
Aptian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
113.20

Depositional setting

"Records the process of tectonic uplift of the Qilian Mountains during the Early Cretaceous." Fluvial and lake facies.


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler: