The Luning Formation is a geologic formation in Nevada. It preserves fossils dating back to the Triassic period. The lowermost strata dates to the late Carnian-early Norian boundary.
The Luning Formation contains significant fossils of invertebrate fauna such as ammonites, bivalves and brachiopods. The site is known for its ichthyosaur fossils.
| Vertebrates reported from the Luning Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Actinopterygii | West Union Canyon. | S. kerri ammonoid zone. | Small fish bones. | An indeterminate bony fish. | ||
| Chondrichthyes | West Union Canyon | K. macrolobatus ammonoid zone. | An elasmobranch fin spine. | An indeterminate cartilaginous fish. | ||
| Metapolygnathus | M. primitius | Pilot & Cedar Mountains.[1] | Conodont elements. | A conodont. | ||
| Shonisaurus | S. popularis | West Union Canyon, Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.[2] | Remains of approximately 40 individuals.[3] | A large ichthyosaur. | ||
| Vertebrata indet. | West Union Canyon. | S. kerri ammonoid zone or above. | Indeterminate bone fragments. | |||
| Arthropods reported from the Luning Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Platypleon | P. nevadensis | A fragmentary specimen containing two pleonal segments and the proximal portion of the left uropods.[4] | A decapod. | |||
| Pseudoglyphea | P. mulleri | Carapace. | A litogastrid decapod. | |||
| Rosagammarus | R. minichiellus | Shoshone Mountains.[5] | Right half of a tail. | A lobster-like decapod, originally misidentified as a giant amphipod. | ||
| Brachiopods reported from the Luning Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Balatonospira? | B.? cf. B. lipoldi | Dunlap Canyon & Cinnabar Canyon.[6] | Lower Member. | Numerous specimens. | A spiriferidan. | |
| Plectoconcha | P. aequiplicata | Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park & Pilot Mountains. | Limestone and secondary dolomite member, & Lower Member. | Numerous specimens. | A terebratulid. | |
| P. newbyi | Dunlap Canyon & Cinnabar Canyon. | Lower Member. | Numerous specimens. | A terebratulid. | ||
| Rhaetina | R. gregaria | Cinnabar & Dunlap Canyons, & Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park. | Lower Member & limestone and secondary dolomite member. | Around 10 specimens. | A terebratulidan. | |
| Spondylospira | S. lewesensis | Dunlap Canyon & Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park. | Lower Member. | 3 complete specimens, 1 brachial & 2 pedicle valves. | A spiniferidan. | |
| Zeilleria | Z. cf. Z. elliptica | Dunlap & Cinnabar Canyons. | Lower Member. | Over 12 specimens. | A zeilleriid. | |
| Zugmayerella | Z. uncinata | Dunlap Canyon & Cinnabar Canyon. | Lower Member. | Numerous specimens. | A spiniferidan. | |
| ?Z. sp. | 14.5 km east of Mina, Nevada. | Probably Lower Member. | A pedicle valve (UMIP 6952). | A spiniferidan. | ||
| Cephalopods reported from the Luning Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Guembelites | G. clavatus | Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains. | An ammonite. | |||
| G. jandianus | Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains. | An ammonite. | ||||
| G. philostrati | Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains. | An ammonite. | ||||
| Pararcestes | P. sp. | Mustang Canyon locality & Dunlap Canyon. | An ammonite. | |||
| Stikinoceras | S. kerri | Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains. | An ammonite. | |||
| Thisbites | T. sp. | Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains. | An ammonite. | |||
| Cnidarians reported from the Luning Formation | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images | |
| Ampakabastrea | A. cowichanensis | Dunlap Canyon, Mina vicinity & Mineral County, Nevada. | 6 specimens. | A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation. | |||
| Areaseris | A. nevadaensis | Dunlap Canyon. | Multiple specimens. | A stony coral also found in California. | |||
| Astraeomorpha | A. confusa | Dunlap Canyon. | 2 specimens. | A stony coral. | |||
| Ceriostella | C. martini | Pilot Mountains & east of Mina. | 6 specimens. | A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation. | |||
| C. parva | Pilot Mountains. | 3 specimens. | A stony coral also found in Alaska. | ||||
| Curtoseris | C. dunlapcanyonae | Dunlap Canyon. | UMIP 17010. | A stony coral also found in Alaska & Peru. | |||
| Distichomeandra | D. cf. minor | Cedar Mountains (Dicalite Summit). | UMIP 26869. | A stony coral. | |||
| Flexastrea | F. serialis | Mineral County, Nevada. | 4 specimens. | A stony coral. | |||
| Khytrastrea | K. cuifiamorpha | Dunlap Canyon. | UMIP 7465 & 7480. | A stony coral. | |||
| K. silberlingi | Dunlap Canyon. | UMIP 17002-1. | A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation. | ||||
| Margarogyra | M. silberlingi | Mineral County, Nevada. | A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation. | ||||
| Margarophyllidae undetermined genus | East of Mina, Pilot Mountains. | Fragmentary, recrystallized specimen (UMIP 6676). | A stony coral. | ||||
| Meandrovolzeia | M. sp. | Pilot Mountains. | A colony fragment UMIP 6720. | A stony coral. | |||
| Minasteria | M. shastensis | Pilot Mountains & Mina vicinity. | 7 specimens. | A stony coral also found in California. | |||
| Nevadoseris | N. punctata | Dunlap & Cinnabar Canyons. | Multiple specimens. | A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation. | |||
| Plectodiscus | P. berlinensis | West Union Canyon, Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.[7] | UCMP 38211. | A chondrophore. | |||
| Retiophyllia | R. nevadae | Mineral County, Nevada. | UCMP 153092. | A stony coral. | |||
| R. sp. | Dunlap Canyon. | Fragments of corallites. | A stony coral. | ||||
| Thamnasteria | T. cf. smithi | Dunlap & Cinnabar canyons. | 2 specimens. | A thamnasteriid coral. | |||