The Ziliujing Formation is a geological formation in China, It is Early Jurassic in age. It is part of the stratigraphy of the Sichuan Basin. The dinosaur Gongxianosaurus and indeterminate theropod material are known from the Dongyuemiao Member of the formation, as well as dinosaur footprints, Zizhongosaurus and indeterminate prosauropods from the Da'anzhai Member.[1] The basal sauropod Sanpasaurus is known from the Maanshan Member.[2] An unnamed stegosaur and the pliosauroidplesiosaurSinopliosaurus are also known from this formation but they were found an indeterminate member.[2] An unnamed teleosaurid known from a complete skull has also been found in the formation, pending a formal description.[3] The deposition environment during the Da'anzhai Member in the lower Toarcian is thought to have been that of a giant freshwater lake encompassing the whole of the Sichuan basin, around 3 times larger than Lake Superior, coeval with the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event around 183 Ma.[4]
A freshwater mussel, considered a member of the family Unionidae inside Unionida. Ecological indicator of shallow zone of the big fresh-water lake under a hot climate
A clam shrimp (“conchostracan”), member of the family Limnadiidae. The species Palaeolimnadia baitianbaensis represent the main member of its own fauna section, that comprises other 52 species of Phyllopods
Bony Fish, considered a member of the family Semionotidae. The only major Bony fish recovered in this unit, with resemblance with coeval European species. Unlike that ones, the local Lepidotes lived in Freshwater settings.
IVPP V 5869, an incomplete postcranial skeleton of a young individual
A plesiosaur, considered a member of the family Rhomaleosauridae. An unusual freshwater plesiosaur linked to the large Sichuan Lake system developed locally.[10]
Turtle remains of uncertain affinity. The only major turtle remains recovered in this unit. This along some undescribed shell fragments from the Lower Jurassic of Sichuan appear to represent the first documented occurrence of the fossil Testudines in China
Sauropod footprints which resemble the pes of some mamenchisaurids. Associated Brontopodus-like trackway with Liujianpus indicates that small and large sauropodomorphs may have co-existed.
Four complete and incomplete skeletons are similar in both size and appearance
A large number of scapula, dorsal vertebrae and ilium, and a complete caudal system with 51 centra
A sauropod that may represent a late-surviving basal member of the group. It has some features of both sauropods and sauropodomorphs, and may be regarded as an intermediate type in the evolution between both groups.
Theropod footprints of uncertain affinity. The Grallator relationships of these tracks are solid, as they don't display features of other ichnogenera found in the early Jurassic of the same region. Includes some of the smallest Grallator (and avian theropod) tracks ever described in the literature.[22]
Sauropodomorph footprints, with features seen in the ichnogenus Otozum, as well as in the sauropod ichnogenus Brontopodus. This ichnogenus dominates all the track assemblages where it is found, with a presence of up the 97%.[23]
A sauropodomorph; probably a member of the family Massospondylidae. One of the youngest non-sauropod sauropodomorphs discovered worldwide. It represents its own faunal section.
Sauropod footprints. The narrow-gauge trackway pattern resembles Parabrontopodus, well known from the Jurassic, but other features, such as the low heteropody, are different
IVPP V156A (IVPP V156 partim); Disarticulated middle-posterior dorsal vertebral series, consisting of three complete centra with partial neural arches.
IVPP V156B; two centra from the dorsal vertebral series
A sauropod with uncertain affinities inside the group. Originally interpreted it as the remains of an ornithopod ornithischian.[27]
An anterior caudal vertebra, a distal end of a left femur, a left tibia, a right fibula, and right foot with a few elements missing
Indeterminate remains of possible thyrephorans. "Gen. indet. imperfectus" represents a large possible ornithischian or a sauropod that was originally assigned to Sanpasaurus
An invalid genus of sauropod of uncertain affinities. "Yibinosaurus" is from the same locality as Gongxianosaurus, and Gongxianosaurus sp. nov. may be the "Yibinosaurus" material
Affinities with Equisetaceae inside Equisetales. Based on analogies with morphologically similar extant Equisetum species, it is interpreted to represent a plant of consistently moist habitats, such as marshes, lake margins or forest understorey, developed normally dense thickets.
Affinities with Dipteridaceae inside Polypodiales. Dictyophyllum is a common Dipteridacean genus of the mid-Mesozoic. Here is indicator of Toarcian age for the sedimnets
Affinities with the Bennettitales inside Bennettitopsida. Anomozamites is characterised by slender, (almost) completely and regularly segmented leaves whose leaflets are generally as long as broad or, at maximum, two times as long as broad. This genus is related with more arboreal Bennetitalean flora. Shows coriaceous leaves and is a genus linked more with dry climates.
^ abcdXing, Lida; Peng, Guangzhao; Ye, Yong; Lockley, Martin G.; Klein, Hendrik; Persons, W. Scott; Zhang, Jianping; Shu, Chunkang; Hao, Baoqiao (2014-04-03). "Sauropod and Small Theropod Tracks from the Lower Jurassic Ziliujing Formation of Zigong City, Sichuan, China, with an Overview of Triassic–Jurassic Dinosaur Fossils and Footprints of the Sican Basin". Ichnos. 21 (2): 119–130. doi:10.1080/10420940.2014.909352. ISSN1042-0940. S2CID129220218.
^ abcdefghijMa, Q H. (1982). "Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Lamellibranchia from Sichuan Basin". _Compiling Group of Continental Mesozoic Stratigraphy and Palaeontology in Sichuan Basin of China, ed. Continental Mesozoic Stratigraphy and Palaeontology in Sichuan Basin of China (In Chinese)_. 1 (1): 582–622.
^Peng, G. Z.; Xing, L. D.; Ye, Y.; Klein, H.; Gierlinski, G. D.; Shu, C. K. (2012). "Report on small-sized theropod tracks from the Early Jurassic Ziliujing Formation of Zigong City, Sichuan, China". In Xing, L. D. And Lockley, M. G. (Eds.), Abstract Book of Qijiang International Dinosaur Tracks Symposium, Chongqing Municipality, China, November 29–30. 2 (1): 98–100.
^Dong, Z.M. (1984). "A new prosauropod from Ziliujing Formation of Sichuan Basin". Vertebr Palasiat. 22 (1): 310–313.
^Peng, G. Z.; Ye, Y.; Gao, Y. H.; Shu, C. K.; Jiang, S. (2005). "Jurassic Dinosaur Faunas in Zigong". People's Publishing House of Sichuan, Chengdu, China. 1 (1): 1–236.
^Ouyang, H. (2003). "Skeletal characteristics of Mamenchisaurus youngi and the systematics of mamenchisaurids". PhD Thesis. Chengdu University of Technology. 1 (1): 1–176.
^Li, K.; Zhang, Y.; Cai, K. (1999). "The Characteristics of the Composition of the Trace Elements in Jurassic Dinosaur Bones and Red Beds in Sichuan Basin". Geological Publishing House, Beijing. 12 (1): 1–155.
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