- Source: Shengjinkou Formation
The Shengjinkou Formation is an Early Cretaceous (Aptian)-aged Konservat-Lagerstätte composed of "interbedded red green and yellow variegated mudstones and siltstones" that is part of the larger Tugulu Group of China. Dinosaur and pterosaur remains have been recovered from the formation.
History
The Shengjikou Formation was first identified in a 1956 manuscript by Xia Gongjun. The type locality is near Turpan City in the Xinjiang Region of China. The first pterosaur and dinosaur remains from the Shengjinkou Formation were identified by 1973, including several skulls belonging to Dsungaripterus weii and indeterminate sauropod remains possibly belonging to Asiatosaurus mongoliensis.
In 2006 from the Hami region in Xinjiang, the Shengjinkou Formation, a Konservat-Lagerstätte was reported, in this case lake sediments allowing for an exceptional preservation of fossils. The same year, Qiu Zhanxiang and Wang Banyue started official excavations. Part of the finds consisted of dense concentrations of pterosaur bones, associated with soft tissues and eggs. The site represented a nesting colony that storm floods had covered with mud. Dozens of individuals could be secured from a total that in 2014 was estimated to run into the many hundreds.
Dinosaur footprints were collected from the formation before 2011 and isolated specimens were collected by the local Moguicheng Dinosaur and Bizarre Stone Museum; more specimens were discovered between 2015 and 2019.
Dinosaur fossils and pterosaur footprints were reported again from the formation in 2021 and dinosaur footprints were first reported from the formation in 2023.
Paleofauna
cf. Asiatosaurus mongoliensis
Dsungaripterus weii
Noripterus complicidens
cf. Eubrontes
Hamipterus tianshanensis
Hamititan xinjiangensis
Pteraichnus wuerhoensis
Silutitan sinensis
Somphospondyli (?) indet. (=Sauropoda indet.)
Theropoda indet.
Uighuroniscus sinkiangensis
Manasichthys tuguluensis
Manasichthys elongates
Dsungarichthys bilineatus
Bogdaichthys fukangensis
Bogdaichthys serratus