Geological formation in China
The Guanling Formation is a
Middle Triassic (
Anisian or
Pelsonian in the regional chronostratigraphy) geologic
formation in southwestern
China .
Geology
The formation encompasses two members. The first member is primarily
calcareous
mudstone and
dolomite , indicative of a coastal environment. The second member is a thicker marine sequence of dark
micritic
limestone with some dolomite. Two distinct fossil assemblages are found in the second member. The older Luoping biota preserves abundant
arthropods along with fossils from other
invertebrates and
vertebrates , which are rare but well-preserved. The slightly younger Panxian fauna has a more diverse and common assortment of marine reptiles such as
sauropterygians .
[1]
A
tuff bed in the Luoping biota has been dated to 244.5 ± 2.2 Ma via
U-Pb
SHRIMP dating. The Luoping biota as a whole was deposited over a period of 340 ± 71 kyr. This estimate is justified by
cyclostratigraphic evidence, as indicated by fluctuations of terrestrial
proxy metals.
[2]
Fossil content
Among others, the following fossils were reported from the formation:
References
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