Aitym Formation

Aitym Formation
Aitym Formation
Stratigraphic range: ?Santonian ; ~
Type	Geological formation
Overlies	Bissekty Formation
Area	Kyzylkum Desert
Thickness	up to
Location
	Aitym Formation (Uzbekistan)

The Aitym Formation is a geological formation in Uzbekistan which possibly dates to the Santonian stage of the Late Cretaceous period.^[1]

The formation has not been precisely dated. However, certain fossils suggest the formation was deposited during the Santonian stage of the Late Cretaceous period.^[1]

Fossil content

A diverse fauna has been unearthed from the Aitym Formation including oysters, ammonites and many marine vertebrates, including an abundant assemblage of chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fish), a rarer assemblage of osteichthyans (bony fish), and rather infrequent finds of plesiosaurs, and sea turtles. Terrestrial vertebrate remains are extremely rare in the formation. A few bones of salamanders, lizards, crocodiles, possibly terrestrial turtle remains, dinosaurs (including birds), and mammals have been found in the formation.^[1]

Color key

Taxon	Reclassified taxon	Taxon falsely reported as present	Dubious taxon or junior synonym	Ichnotaxon	Ootaxon	Morphotaxon

Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; ~~crossed out~~ taxa are discredited.

Mammals

Mammals of the Aitym Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Notes	Images
Uzbekbaatar	U. wardi^[1]		A cimolodontan multituberculate
Shalbaatar	cf. S. sp.^[1]		A spalacotheriid symmetrodont
Deltatherus	cf. D. sp.^[1]		A deltatheroidan; reclassified later as Sulestes, as the two genera have been synonymized
Daulestes	aff. D. sp^[1]		A asioryctithere
Kulbeckia	Kulbeckia sp. cf. K. kulbecke^[1]		A possible zalambdalestid
Kulbeckia	aff. Kulbeckia sp.^[1]		A possible zalambdalestid
Paranyctoides	Paranyctoides sp. cf. P. aralensis^[1]		A possible lipotyphlan
Paranyctoides	Paranyctoides sp.^[1]		A possible lipotyphlan
Eoungulatum	E. sp. cf. E. kudukensis^[1]		Zhelestid ungulatomorphs
Parazhelestes	P. sp. cf. P. robustus^[1]
Parazhelestes	P. sp. aff. P. minor^[1]
Aspanlestes	cf. A. sp.^[1]

Molluscs

Molluscs of the Aitym Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Notes	Images
Placenticeras	P. kyzylkumense^[1]		A placenticeratid ammonite

Amphibians

Amphibians of the Aitym Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Notes	Images
Eoscapherpeton	E. asiaticum^[2]		A giant salamander

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Averianov, A (2003). "Mammals from the Upper Cretaceous Aitym Formation, Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan". Cretaceous Research. 24 (2): 171–191. Bibcode:2003CrRes..24..171A. doi:10.1016/S0195-6671(03)00037-5.
^ Skutschas, Pavel P.; Saburov, Pavel G.; Boitsova, Elizaveta A.; Kolchanov, Veniamin V. (2019). "Ontogenetic changes in long-bone histology of the cryptobranchid Eoscapherpeton asiaticum (Amphibia: Caudata) from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 18 (3): 306–316. Bibcode:2019CRPal..18..306S. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2019.02.002.

[:0-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Averianov, A (2003). "Mammals from the Upper Cretaceous Aitym Formation, Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan". Cretaceous Research. 24 (2): 171–191. Bibcode:2003CrRes..24..171A. doi:10.1016/S0195-6671(03)00037-5.

[2] Skutschas, Pavel P.; Saburov, Pavel G.; Boitsova, Elizaveta A.; Kolchanov, Veniamin V. (2019). "Ontogenetic changes in long-bone histology of the cryptobranchid Eoscapherpeton asiaticum (Amphibia: Caudata) from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 18 (3): 306–316. Bibcode:2019CRPal..18..306S. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2019.02.002.

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