Jialingjiang Formation

Jialingjiang Formation
Stratigraphic range: Olenekian
~249.9–246.7 Ma
TypeGeological formation
UnderliesFeixianguan Formation
OverliesLeikoupo Formation
Guanling Formation
Lithology
PrimaryLimestone
OtherMudstone
Location
Coordinates31°06′N 111°36′E / 31.1°N 111.6°E / 31.1; 111.6
RegionSichuan, Jiangxi, Chongqing, Hubei
CountryChina
ExtentSichuan Basin
Jialingjiang Formation is located in China
Jialingjiang Formation
Jialingjiang Formation
Jialingjiang Formation
Jialingjiang Formation
Jialingjiang Formation (China)

The Jialingjiang Formation (嘉陵江组) is a geologic feature associated with the Sichuan Basin of China, generally underlying the area of the basin, with its origins dating to the Early Triassic period of geologic time, around 249 million years ago. The Jialingjiang Formation is a geologic group feature upon the Yangtze Plate, which is a tectonic feature of the Earth's crust.

The Jialingjiang Formation is important to paleontologists or other people interested in ancient life forms due to the fossil evidence incorporated therein (such as for Eretmorhipis and other Ichthyosaur relatives). Also, scientific study of this formation group provides insight into Late Triassic tectonic inversion based on analysis of detrital zircon U–Pb chronology (involving the element uranium converting to lead over time due to radioactive decay). The Jialingjiang Formation is also of interest in history as it has been a source for humans to extract valuable economic goods such as salt and natural gas for many centuries.

Hydrocarbon resources

The history of the Jialingjiang Formation explains the origins of the hydrocarbon resources which have historically or in the future may be extracted. The primary hydrocarbon resource of the Sichuan Basin is natural gas.

Fossil contents

Invertebrates

Invertebrates of the Jialingjiang Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Claraia C. sp. Longmendong, Sichuan A specimen A bivalve scallop
Entolium E. discites microtis
Promysidiella P. eduliformis praecursor
Liuzhinia L. parva Longmendong, Sichuan Several specimen A bairdiidae ostracod
L. subovata
L. reniformis
Myophoria M. ovata A bivalve mollusk
Pteria P. cf. murchisoni Longmendong, Sichuan A bivalve mollusk

Vertebrates

Reptiles

Reptiles of the Jialingjiang Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Chaohusaurus C. zhangjiawanensis Yuanan, Hubei A relatively complete skeleton with skull and another skeleton lacking the skull. An Ichthyosauriform
Hupehsuchus
Chusaurus C. xiangensis Songshugou Village, Hubei A nearly complete skeleton lacking some cranial and cervical vertebral elements A pachypleurosaurian nothosaur
Eohupehsuchus E. brevicollis Yangping, Hubei A skeleton An aquatic short-necked hupehsuchia reptile
Eretmorhipis E. carrolldongi Yuan'an County, Hubei Multiple partially preserved skeletons A marine hupehsuchian reptile
Hanosaurus H. hupehensis Sonshugo locality and Yingzishan locality, Hubei A partial skeleton A marine reptile
Hupehsuchus H. nanchangensis Quarry near Minfeng, Hubei A skeleton A hupehsuchian marine reptile
Keichousaurus K. yuananensis Yingzishan Hill Quarry, Yichang A partial skeleton A pachypleurosaurian reptile
Lariosaurus L. sanxiaensis Yingzishan Hill Quarry, Yichang A holotype specimen consists of a skeleton A nothosaur
Lentamanusuchus L. hubeiensis Yingzishan Quarry, Yuan'an, Hubei A partial articulated skeleton A hupehsuchian ichthyosauromorph
Nanchangosaurus N. suni Yangping, Yuan'an County, Hubei A skeleton A hupehsuchian marine reptile
Parahupehsuchus P. longus Yuan'an County, Hubei A partial skeleton A hupehsuchian marine reptile
Pomolispondylus P. biani Yingzishan Hill Quarry, Yichang A partial skeleton A sauropterygian reptile
Prosaurosphargis P. yingzishanensis Yingzishan quarry, Hubei A partial skeleton A marine saurosphargid reptile

Fish

Fish of the Jialingjiang Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Saurichthys S. sp. Yuan'an County, Hubei A saurichthyid saurichthyiform

See also

References

  1. ↑ [Late Triassic tectonic inversion in the upper Yangtze Block: insights from1 detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10037981/1/br_manuscript.pdf]
  2. ↑ Sun, Chunyan; Hu, Mingyi; Hu, Zhonggui; Ngia, Ngong Roger (June 1, 2019). "Sedimentary facies and sequence stratigraphy in the Lower Triassic Jialingjiang Formation, Sichuan Basin, China". Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology. 9 (2): 837–847. doi:10.1007/s13202-018-0551-3.
  3. ↑ Kuhn, Oliver (2004-06-30). "Ancient Chinese Drilling". Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists. 29 (6).
  4. ↑ Zhijun, Jin; Quanyou, Liu; Nansheng, Qiu; Feng, Ding; Guoping, Bai (2012). "Phase states of hydrocarbons in Chinese marine carbonate strata and controlling factors for their formation". Energy Exploration & Exploitation. 30 (5): 753–773. ISSN 0144-5987.
  5. ↑ M. Wei. 1981. Early and Middle Triassic ostracods from Sichuan. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 20(6):501-507 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
  6. ↑ C. Xu. 1978. Lamellibranchiata. Palaeontological Atlas of Southwest China - Sichuan Volume 2:315-364
  7. ↑ CHEN Xiaohong, P. Martin SANDER, CHENG Long, WANG Xiaofeng.2013. A New Triassic Primitive Ichthyosaur from Yuanan, South China[J]. Acta Geologica Sinica(),87(3):672-677
  8. ↑ Liu, Q. L., Cheng, L., Stubbs, T. L., Moon, B. C., Benton, M. J., Yan, C. B., & Tian, L. (2023). Rapid neck elongation in Sauropterygia (Reptilia: Diapsida) revealed by a new basal pachypleurosaur from the Lower Triassic of China. BMC ecology and evolution, 23(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-023-02150-w
  9. ↑ CHEN Xiaohong, P. Martin SANDER, CHENG Long, WANG Xiaofeng.2013. A New Triassic Primitive Ichthyosaur from Yuanan, South China[J]. Acta Geologica Sinica(),87(3):672-677
  10. ↑ Cheng, Long; Motani, Ryosuke; Jiang, Da-Yong; Yan, Chun-bo; Tintori, Andrea; Rieppel, Olivier (2019). "Early Triassic marine reptile representing the oldest record of unusually small eyes in reptiles, indicating non-visual prey detection". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 152. Bibcode:2019NatSR...9..152C. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-37754-6. PMC 6345829. PMID 30679783.
  11. ↑ X.-C. Wu, L.-J. Zhao, and T. Sato, S.-X. Gu, X.-S. Jin. 2016. A new specimen of Hupehsuchus nanchangensis Young, 1972 (Diapsida, Hupehsuchia) from the Triassic of Hubei, China. Historical Biology 28(1-2):43-52
  12. ↑ C.-C. Young. 1965. On the new nothosaurs from Hupeh and Kweichou, China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 9(4):337-356
  13. ↑ Qiao, Y.; Iijima, M.; Liu, J. (2025). "A new hupehsuchian (Reptilia: Ichthyosauromorpha) with widely spaced autopodium from the marine Lower Triassic of South China". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 23 2560884. doi:10.1080/14772019.2025.2560884.
  14. ↑ Chen, X. H., Motani, R., Cheng, L., Jiang, D. Y., & Rieppel, O. (2014). A small short-necked hupehsuchian from the lower Triassic of Hubei Province, China. PloS one, 9(12), e115244. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0115244
  15. ↑ Chen, X. H., Motani, R., Cheng, L., Jiang, D. Y., & Rieppel, O. (2014). A carapace-like bony 'body tube' in an early triassic marine reptile and the onset of marine tetrapod predation. PloS one, 9(4), e94396. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094396
  16. ↑ Cheng, L.; Moon, B. C.; Yan, C.; Motani, R.; Jiang, D.; An, Z.; Fang, Z. (2022). "The oldest record of Saurosphargiformes (Diapsida) from South China could fill an ecological gap in the Early Triassic biotic recovery". PeerJ. 10 e13569. doi:10.7717/peerj.13569. PMC 9288826. PMID 35855428.
  17. ↑ A. S. Wolniewicz, Y. Shen, Q. Li, Y. Sun, Y. Qiao, Y. Chen, Y.-W. Hu and J. Liu. 2023. An armoured marine reptile from the Early Triassic of South China and its phylogenetic and evolutionary implications. eLife 12(e83163)
  18. ↑ Zhang, Y.-T.; Wu, F.-X.; Li, Q.; Qiao, Y.; Hu, Y.-W.; Shen, X.-Y.; Liu, J. (2026). "First record of predatory fish Saurichthys from the late Early Triassic Nanzhang-Yuan'an fauna, South China". Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology: 1–10. doi:10.1080/08912963.2025.2588256.