Moqi Fauna
Stratigraphic range: Early Cretaceous (Aptian), 125–120 Ma
TypeFossil site
Location
Coordinates48°39′41″N 123°52′41″E / 48.66139°N 123.87806°E / 48.66139; 123.87806
Region Inner Mongolia
Country China
SlvrHwk/sandbox is located in China
SlvrHwk/sandbox
SlvrHwk/sandbox (China)
SlvrHwk/sandbox is located in Inner Mongolia
SlvrHwk/sandbox
SlvrHwk/sandbox (Inner Mongolia)

The Moqi Fauna is a lagerstätte found in Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner, Inner Mongolia, China. It consists of a suite of fossilised prehistoric animals from the late Early Cretaceous (Aptian) period, with an age range of 125–120 million years ago. The composition of the Moqi Fauna is similar to the roughly coeval Jehol Biota. Fish, amphibian, reptile (including dinosaur), and bird remains are most common in the Moqi Fauna.[1]

Geology

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Guanghua Formation overlies Longjiang Formation.

Paleoenvironment

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Paleofauna

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Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Fish

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Genus Species Region Material Notes Images
Cretolepis[2] C. dongbeiensis Heilongjiang Province An articulated specimen and a partial skull and trunk A paleonisciform; the first Mesozoic paleonisciform described from northeastern China

Amphibians

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Genus Species Region Material Notes Images
Genibatrachus[3] G. baoshanensis Pigeon Hill locality Twelve partial articulated skeletons belonging to individuals of various ages, some preserving skin impressions An anuran of uncertain affinities
Nuominerpeton[4] N. aquilonaris Pigeon Hill locality Partial skeletons of several individuals A urodelan; a member of the suborder Cryptobranchoidea

Lizards

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Genus Species Region Material Notes Images
Moqisaurus[5] M. pulchrum Gezidong locality Two nearly complete skeletons preserved on slabs and counter-slabs A squamate

Archosaurs

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Non-avian dinosaurs

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Genus Species Region Material Notes Images
Coelurosauria[6] Indeterminate Pigeon Hill locality LY 2022JZ3005: a partial metatarsus, preserved on a slab and counter-slab An indeterminate theropod, likely a coelurosaurian
Daurlong[7] D. wangi Pigeon Hill locality IMMNH-PV00731: A nearly complete skeleton A dromaeosaurid; specimen preserves the intestinal track and plumage
 
Migmanychion[6] M. laiyang Pigeon Hill locality LY 2022JZ3001: A complete articulated left hand and partial arm, preserved on a slab and counter-slab A maniraptoran of uncertain affinities; shares some similarities with Fukuivenator
 
Paraves[6] Indeterminate Pigeon Hill locality LY 2022JZ3004: part of an articulated specimen including a partial pelvis, both femora, a tibia and fibula, and impressions of possible caudal vertebrae, preserved on a slab and counter-slab An indeterminate theropod, likely a paravian

Avialans

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Genus Species Region Material Notes Images

Beiguornis[8]

B. khinganensis

Pigeon Hill locality A nearly complete skeleton A bohaiornithid; the first enantiornithine bird described from the Greater Khingan Range
Khinganornis[9] K. hulunbuirensis Pigeon Hill locality A nearly complete skeleton, preserved on a slab and counterslab A gansuid euornithean; the first bird described from the Longjiang Formation and the Greater Khingan Range, possible with an amphibious or wading ecology

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Yu, Zhiqiang; Dong, Liping; Huyskens, Magdalena H.; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Wang, Yuan; Deng, Chenglong; He, Huaiyu (2022-03-01). "The exceptionally preserved Early Cretaceous "Moqi Fauna" from eastern Inner Mongolia, China, and its age relationship with the Jehol Biota". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 589: 110824. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110824.
  2. ^ Wang, Xuri; Tan, Kai; Lu, Liwu; Li, Tao; Cai, Qingqing (2018-07-16). "A New Genus of Paleonisciformes from the Early Cretaceous Longjiang Formation in Heilongjiang Province, China". Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition. 92 (3): 889–896. doi:10.1111/1755-6724.13580.
  3. ^ Gao, Ke-Qin; Chen, Jianye (2017-03-14). "A New Crown-Group Frog (Amphibia: Anura) from the Early Cretaceous of Northeastern Inner Mongolia, China". American Museum Novitates. 3876 (3876): 1–39. doi:10.1206/3876.1. ISSN 0003-0082.
  4. ^ Jia, Jia; Gao, Ke-Qin (2016-10-05). "A new hynobiid-like salamander (Amphibia, Urodela) from Inner Mongolia, China, provides a rare case study of developmental features in an Early Cretaceous fossil urodele". PeerJ. 4: e2499. doi:10.7717/peerj.2499. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 5068444. PMID 27761316.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  5. ^ Dong, Liping; Wang, Yuan; Evans, Susan E. (2022-10-14). "A new fossil lizard (Reptilia: Squamata) from the Lower Cretaceous of eastern Inner Mongolia, China". Cretaceous Research. 141: 105363. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105363.
  6. ^ a b c Wang, Xuri; Cau, Andrea; Wang, Zhengdong; Yu, Kaifeng; Wu, Wenhao; Wang, Yang; Liu, Yichuan (2023-06-05). "A new theropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Longjiang Formation of Inner Mongolia (China)". Cretaceous Research: 105605. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105605. ISSN 0195-6671.
  7. ^ Wang, Xuri; Cau, Andrea; Guo, Bin; Ma, Feimin; Qing, Gele; Liu, Yichuan (2022-11-19). "Intestinal preservation in a birdlike dinosaur supports conservatism in digestive canal evolution among theropods". Scientific Reports. 12 (1): 19965. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-24602-x. ISSN 2045-2322.
  8. ^ Wang, Xuri; Ju, Shubin; Wu, Wensheng; Liu, Yichuan; Guo, Zhen; Ji, Qiang (2022-01-20). "The first enantiornithine bird from the Lower Cretaceous Longjiang Formation in the Great Khingan Range of Inner Mongolia". Acta Geologica Sinica. 96 (2): 337–348.
  9. ^ Wang, Xuri; Cau, Andrea; Kundrát, Martin; Chiappe, Luis M.; Ji, Qiang; Wang, Yang; Li, Tao; Wu, Wenhao (2020-02-28). "A new advanced ornithuromorph bird from Inner Mongolia documents the northernmost geographic distribution of the Jehol paleornithofauna in China". Historical Biology. 33 (9): 1705–1717. doi:10.1080/08912963.2020.1731805. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 213971956.