Hekou Formation Explained

Hekou Formation should not be confused with Hekou Group.

Hekou Formation
Type:	Geological formation
Age:	Late Cretaceous,
Prilithology:	Conglomerate, glutenite
Otherlithology:	Sandstone, siltstone, tuff
Region:	Jiangxi Province, Asia
Unitof:	Guifeng Group
Underlies:	Tangbian Formation
Overlies:	Unconformity: Zhoutian Formation
Period:	Santonian

The Hekou Formation is a Cretaceous geologic formation in China. Pterosaur fossils have been recovered from the formation. It is a unit of the Guifeng Group and dates to the Late Cretaceous (Coniacian-early Campanian).^[1] Dinosaur fossils from the formation include a nearly perfect oviraptorid embryo nicknamed Baby Yingliang, an unnamed large hadrosaurid, and hadrosauroid eggs with embryos.^{[2] [3] [4]} Mammal fossils include Erythrobaatar and Yubaatar qianzhouensis.^{[5] [6]} The polyglyphanodontian lizard Yechilacerta has also been described from the formation.^[7]

See also

• List of pterosaur-bearing stratigraphic units
• List of dinosaur-bearing stratigraphic units

Notes and References

1. Xi. D.. Wan. X.. Li. G.. Li. G.. 2018. Cretaceous integrative stratigraphy and timescale of China. Science China Earth Sciences. 61. 1–31. 10.1007/s11430-017-9262-y. 135150710 .
2. Xing, Lida. Niu, Kecheng. Ma, Waisum. Zelenitsky, Darla K.. Yang, Tzu-Ruei. Brusatte, Stephen L.. An exquisitely preserved in-ovo theropod dinosaur embryo sheds light on avian-like prehatching postures. iScience. 2022. 25. 1. 103516. 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103516. 35106456. 8786642. 2022iSci...25j3516X .
3. Xing. Lida. Niu. Kecheng. Wang. Donghao. Marquez. Albert Prieto. 2020-06-18. A partial articulated hadrosaurid skeleton from the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Ganzhou area, Jiangxi Province, China. Historical Biology. 33 . 10 . en. 2256–2259. 10.1080/08912963.2020.1782397. 225764043 . 0891-2963.
4. Xing L, Niu K, Yang TR, Wang D, Miyashita T, Mallon JC . Hadrosauroid eggs and embryos from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Jiangxi Province, China . 2022 . BMC Ecology and Evolution . 22 . 1 . Article number 60 . 10.1186/s12862-022-02012-x . 35534805 . 9088101 . free .
5. Jin . X. . Mao . F. . Du . T. . Yang . Y. . Meng . J. . 2022 . A new multituberculate from the latest Cretaceous of central China and its implications for multituberculate tooth homologies and occlusion . Journal of Mammalian Evolution . 30 . 1–20 . 10.1007/s10914-022-09636-2 . 253192551 .
6. Hu . J. . Han . F. . 2021 . A new multituberculate, Yubaatar qianzhouensis sp. nov.: the first Late Cretaceous mammal from Ganzhou Basin, Jiangxi Province . Acta Palaeontologica Sinica . 60 . 4 . 565–579 . 10.19800/j.cnki.aps.2020057 .
7. Xing . Lida . Niu . Kecheng . Evans . Susan E. . 2023 . A new polyglyphanodontian lizard with a complete lower temporal bar from the Upper Cretaceous of southern China . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 21 . 1 . 10.1080/14772019.2023.2281494 . 1477-2019. free. 2023JSPal..2181494X .