Alai Beds Explained

Alai Beds
Period:	Ypresian
Age:	Ypresian (Bumbanian) ~
Type:	Geological formation
Prilithology:	Siltstone, conglomerate
Otherlithology:	Limestone
Overlies:	Paleozoic rocks
Thickness:	More than 25m (82feet)
Coordinates:	39.9°N 69.5°W
Paleocoordinates:	40.7°N 69.7°W
Region:	Osh
Country:	Kyrgyzstan
Extent:	Aktash Range

The Alai Beds is an Early Eocene (Ypresian, or Bumbanian in the ALMA classification) geologic formation in the Osh Region of southwestern Kyrgyzstan. The formation has provided many fossils of mammals, lizards, turtles and snakes.^[1]

Description

The Paleogene Alai Beds have a limited distribution, and are restricted to the northern slope of Aktash Range, formed by Paleozoic rocks, which is one of the foothills of the Turkestan Range. The Paleogene deposits on the Aktash Range are badly exposed, they can be observed only in three outcrops, separated by short distances about 1kmto2kmkm (01milesto01mileskm). Despite their close position, the Paleogene deposits in these outcrops are varied greatly in composition and thickness of layers.^[2]

The lower Alai Beds contain 5m (16feet) of silts and siltstones, and the upper part comprises oyster-bearing limestones of which 2to are exposed. At the base of the Upper Alai Beds there is a layer of conglomerate which produces a number of marine vertebrates, but a few terrestrial vertebrates including mammals. The section I1 is more complete and has a greater thickness, but produces a few shark teeth only. The third Paleogene section, where the mammal bearing locality Andarak 2 is located, has a much greater thickness of sands of the lower Alai Beds (more than 25m (82feet) of visible thickness) with some horizons of oyster-bearing conglomerates.^[3]

Fossil content

The formation has provided the following fossils:

Mammals

Artiodactyls

• Eolantianius russelli
• Diacodexis sp.
• Diacodexeidae indet.

Cimolesta

• Metasarcodon udovichenkoi^[4]
• Nuryctes alayensis^[5]
• Palaeoryctidae indet.^[6]

Hyaenodonta

• Isphanatherium ferganensis^[7]
• Neoparapterodon sp.

Lipotyphla

• Protogalericius averianovi^[6]

Perissodactyls

• Eoletes tianshanicus
• Pataecops minutissimus^[8]
• Sharamynodon kirghisensis
• Teleolophus medius

Rodents

• Aktashmys montealbus^{[9] [10]}
• Alaymys ctenodactylus^[11]
• Anatolimys rozhdestvenskii^[12]
• Gobiolagus hekkeri^[13]
• Khodzhentia vinogradovi
• Advenimus cf. burkei
• Petrokozlovia cf. notos
• Saykanomys cf. bohlini
• ?Adolomys sp.
• Ctenodactyloidea indet.^[14]

Reptiles

Lizards

• ?Saniwa sp.^[15]
• Agamidae indet.^[16]
• Uromastycinae indet.

Snakes

• Calamagras turkestanicus^[17]
• Palaeophis ferganicus
• Boidae indet.

Turtles

• Hadrianus vialovi^{[18] [19]}
• Cheloniinae indet.^[20]

See also

• Ypresian formations
  • Ieper Group of Belgium
  • Fur Formation of Denmark
  • London Clay Formation of England
  • Silveirinha Formation of Portugal
• Wasatchian formations
  • Nanjemoy Formation of the eastern United States
  • Wasatch Formation of the western United States
• Itaboraian formations
  • Itaboraí Formation of Brazil
  • Laguna del Hunco Formation of Argentina

References

Bibliography

• Lopatin . A. V . 2006 . Early Paleogene insectivore mammals of Asia and establishment of the major groups of Insectivora . . 40 . S3 . S205–S405. 10.1134/S0031030106090012 . 2006PalJ...40S.205L .
• Lopatin . A. V. . A. O. . Averianov . 2006 . Eocene Lagomorpha (Mammalia) of Asia: 2. Strenulagus and Gobiolagus (Strenulagidae). . . 40 . 2 . 198–206. 10.1134/S0031030106020110 . 2006PalJ...40..198L .
• Averianov . A. O. . M. . Godinot . 2005 . Ceratomorphs (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the early Eocene Andarak 2 locality in Kyrgyzstan . . 27 . 221–237.
• Averianov . A. O. . A. V. . Lopatin . 2005 . Eocene Lagomorphs (Mammalia) of Asia: 1. Aktashmys (Strenulagidae fam. nov.) . . 39 . 308–317.
• Lopatin . A. V. . A. O. . Averianov . 2004 . New Palaeoryctidae (Mammalia) from the Eocene of Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia . . 38 . 556–562.
• Averianov . A. O . 2002 . Review of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sea turtles from the former USSR . . 9 . 137–154.
• Danilov . I. G. . A. O. . Averianov . 1999 . A new species of Calamagras Cope 1873 (Serpentes, Boidae, Erycinae) from the early Eocene of Kirghizia . . 21 . 85–91.
• Lavrov . A. V. . A. O. . Averianov . 1998 . The Oldest Asiatic Hyaenodontidae (Mammalia, Creodonta) from the Early Eocene of the Southern Fergana Basin (Andarak-2 Locality) . . 32 . 200–205.
• Averianov . A. O. . I. G. . Danilov . 1997 . A varanid lizard (Squamata: Varanidae) from the early Eocene of Kirghizia . . 4 . 2 . 143–147. 10.30906/1026-2296-1997-4-2-143-147 .
• Danilov . I. G. . A. O. . Averianov . 1997 . New data on the turtles from the Early Eocene of Kirghizia . . 4 . 40–45. 10.30906/1026-2296-1997-4-1-40-45 .
• Averianov . A. O . 1996a . Early Eocene Rodentia of Kyrgyzstan . . 18 . 629–662.
• Averianov . A. O . 1996b . Artiodactyla from the early Eocene of Kyrgyzstan . . 25 . 359–369.
• Averianov . A. O. . I. G. . Danilov . 1996 . Agamid lizards (Reptilia, Sauria, Agamidae) from the early Eocene of Kyrgyzstan . . 1996 . 12 . 739–750. 10.1127/njgpm/1996/1996/739 .
• Averianov . A. O . 1994a . Early Eocene mimotonids of Kyrgyzstan and the problem of Mixodontia . . 39 . 393–411 . 2020-09-10.
• Averianov . A. O . 1994b . A new species of Sarcodon (Mammalia, Palaeoryctoidea) from the Lower Eocene of Kirgizia . . 27 . 2 . 255–258. 10.1016/S0016-6995(94)80012-X . 1994Geobi..27..255A .

Notes and References

1. https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Alai%20Beds&group_formation_member=Alai%20Beds Alai Beds
2. Averianov, 1994a, p.399
3. Averianov, 1994a, p.400
4. Averianov, 1994b
5. Lopatin & Averianov, 2004
6. Lopatin, 2006
7. Lavrov & Averianov, 1998
8. Averianov, 1994b
9. Averianov, 1994a, p.406
10. Averianov & Lopatin, 2005
11. Averianov, 1994a, p.401
12. Averianov, 1994a, p.402
13. Lopatin & Averianov, 2006
14. Averianov & Danilov, 1996a
15. Averianov & Danilov, 1997
16. Averianov & Danilov, 1996b
17. Danilov & Averianov, 1999
18. Averianov & Godinot, 2005
19. Danilov & Averianov, 1999
20. Averianov, 2002