Balabansai Formation Explained
The Balabansai Formation (sometimes transcribed Balabansay,[1] also known as Balabansai Svita) is a geological formation in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan whose strata date back to the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the Middle Jurassic. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[2] The lithology primarily consists of variegated sandstones, siltstones, claystones, and rare gravels and marls.[3] Many taxa have been found in the formation, including amphibians[4] and mammals.[5]
Vertebrate paleofauna
Indeterminate Avialae remains located in Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy, Kazakhstan.
Fish
Amphibians
Turtles
| Turtles of the Balabansai Formation |
|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Notes |
|---|
| Toxocheloides | T. narynensis | | |
| Xinjiangchelys | X. tianshanensis, X. latimarginalis | | Xinjiangchelydae | |
Lizards
| Lizards of the Balabansai Formation |
|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Notes |
|---|
| Changetisaurus | C. estesi | | Relative of Dorsetisaurus |
| Indeterminate | | | |
Dinosaurs
| Dinosaurs |
|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes |
|---|
| Praeornis | P. sharovi | Geographically located in Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy, Kazakhstan. | | |
| Alpkarakush[7] | A. kyrgyzicus | Jalal-Abad Oblast, Kyrgyzstan | A partial skeleton including skull bones, partial pectoral and pelvic girdles, dorsal and sacral vertebrae, and most of the hindlimbs | A metriacanthosaurid theropod |
| Ferganasaurus[8] | F. verzilini | Located within Kyrgyzstan | | Basal sauropod |
| Ferganocephale | F. adenticulatum | Located within Kyrgyzstan | | Dubious taxon, Neornithischia indet. |
| Neosauropoda indet. | Family, genus and species indeterminate | Kyrgyzstan | A heavily worn tooth, the apex of a tooth crown, a left metatarsal I, and a right manual phalanx | |
| Tetanurae indet. | Family, genus and species indeterminate | Kyrgyzstan | Dozens of teeth | |
| Stegosauria indet.[9] | Family, genus and species indeterminate | Kyrgyzstan | Four posterior dorsal vertebrae | May be as old as Adratiklit. Remains not diagnostic, given nomen nudum "Ferganastegos" by Roman Ulansky. | |
Mammals
Invertebrate paleofauna
Molluscs
| Genus | Species | Presence | Notes |
|---|
| Proparreysia[11] | "P. thashkumyrica" | | A bivalve |
| Sulcatapex | "S. chatkalica" | | A bivalve |
| Yeniella | "Y. asiatica", "Y. sculpturata" | | A bivalve | |
Flora
Ferns
See also
Notes and References
- De Pelsmaeker. Elien. Jolivet. Marc. Laborde. Amandine. Poujol. Marc. Robin. Cécile. Zhimulev. Fedor I.. Nachtergaele. Simon. Glorie. Stijn. De Clercq. Shana. Batalev. Vladislav Yu.. De Grave. Johan. 2018. Source-to-sink dynamics in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan from the Jurassic to the Paleogene: Insights from sedimentological and detrital zircon U-Pb analyses. Gondwana Research. en. 54. 180–204. 10.1016/j.gr.2017.09.004. 2018GondR..54..180D . 1342-937X.
- Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Jurassic, Asia)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 550–552. .
- AVERIANOV. ALEXANDER O.. MARTIN. THOMAS. BAKIROV. AIZEK A.. January 2005. Pterosaur and dinosaur remains from the Middle Jurassic Balabansai Svita in the northern Fergana Depression, Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia). Palaeontology. en. 48. 1. 135–155. 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2004.00437.x. 2005Palgy..48..135A . 55249438 . 0031-0239. free.
- Skutschas. Pavel P.. 2013-10-01. Mesozoic salamanders and albanerpetontids of Middle Asia, Kazakhstan, and Siberia. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. en. 93. 4. 441–457. 10.1007/s12549-013-0126-8. 2013PdPe...93..441S . 140159226 . 1867-1594.
- Martin. Thomas. Averianov. Alexander O.. 2010-05-18. Mammals from the Middle Jurassic Balabansai Formation of the Fergana Depression, Kyrgyzstan. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. en. 30. 3. 855–871. 10.1080/02724631003758045. 2010JVPal..30..855M . 128716878 . 0272-4634.
- AVERIANOV. ALEXANDER O.. MARTIN. THOMAS. SKUTSCHAS. PAVEL P.. REZVYI. ANTON S.. BAKIROV. AIZEK A.. Amphibians from the Middle Jurassic Balabansai Svita in the Fergana Depression, Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia) . 2008-01-25. Palaeontology. en. 51. 2. 471–485. 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00748.x. 2008Palgy..51..471A . 0031-0239. free.
- Rauhut . Oliver W M . Bakirov . Aizek A . Wings . Oliver . Fernandes . Alexandra E . Hübner . Tom R . 2024-08-01 . A new theropod dinosaur from the Callovian Balabansai Formation of Kyrgyzstan . . en . 201 . 4 . 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae090 . 0024-4082.
- Alifanov. Vladimir R.. Averianov. Alexander O.. 2003-06-17. Ferganasaurus verzilini, gen. et sp. nov., a new neosauropod (Dinosauria, Saurischia, Sauropoda) from the Middle Jurassic of Fergana Valley, Kirghizia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. en. 23. 2. 358–372. 10.1671/0272-4634(2003)023[0358:fvgesn]2.0.co;2. 85902362 . 0272-4634.
- Averianov . A. O. . Bakirov . A. A. . Martin . T. . 2007 . First definitive stegosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan . Paläontologische Zeitschrift . 81 . 4 . 0031-0220 . 440–446 . 10.1007/BF02990255 . 2007PalZ...81..440A . 129163170 .
- Martin. Thomas. Averianov. Alexander O.. 2004-03-25. A new docodont (Mammalia) from the Middle Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan, central Asia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. en. 24. 1. 195–201. 10.1671/15. 2004JVPal..24..195M . 55118845 . 0272-4634.
- Book: Кузичкина, Ю. М. . Балабансайская Свита . . ru:Стратиграфический словарь СССР: Триас, Юра, Мелсборник . Stratigraphic Dictionary of the USSR: Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous . . Leningrad . 1979 . 49 . https://www.geokniga.org/bookfiles/geokniga-1979stratigraficheskijslovartriasjuramel.pdf .
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan