Bayan Mandahu Formation

The Bayan Mandahu Formation (or Wulansuhai Formation) is a geological unit of "redbeds" located near the village of Bayan Mandahu in Inner Mongolia, China Asia (Gobi Desert) and dates from the late Cretaceous Period. Laid down in the Campanian, it is dated somewhat uncertainly to between 75-71 mya (million years ago).
The paleoenvironment it preserves was semi-arid and characterized by alluvial (stream-deposited) and eolian (wind-deposited) sediments. The formation is known for its vertebrate fossils, most of which are preserved in unstructured sandstone, indicating burial by wind-blown sandstorms. [printed early 1994]
==Fauna==
The fauna of the Bayan Mandahu is very similar in composition to the nearby Djadochta Formation, and the two may have been deposited at roughly the same time. These two formations share many of the same genera, but differ in the makeup of species. For example, the most common mammal in the Djadochta is Kryptobaatar dashzevegi, while in the Bayan Mandahu, it is the closely related Kryptobaatar mandahuensis. Similarly, the dinosaur fauna of the Djadochta includes Protoceratops andrewsi and Velociraptor mongoliensis, while the Bayan Mandahu contains Protoceratops hellenikorhinus and Velociraptor osmolskae.
===Crocodylomorphs===
Crocodylomorphs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Crocodylomorphs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Crocodylomorphs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Crocodylomorphs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Crocodylomorphs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Crocodylomorphs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Crocodylomorphs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus 	Species 	Location 	Stratigraphic position 	Abundance 	Notes 	
Shamosuchus 	 	 	 	 	A mesoeucrocodylian. 	
===Lizards===
An amphisbaenian species is known from the formation. An iguanian species is known from the formation.
Lizards of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Lizards of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Lizards of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Lizards of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Lizards of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Lizards of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Lizards of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus 	Species 	Location 	Stratigraphic position 	Abundance 	Notes 	
Adamisaurus 	
A. magnidentatus 	 	 	 	An agamid. 	
Bainguis 	 	 	 	 	
A diploglossan. 	
Telmasaurus 	 	 	 	 	
A monitor lizard. 	
===Mammals===
A taeniolabidoidea multituberculate is known from the formation.
Mammals of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Mammals of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Mammals of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Mammals of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Mammals of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Mammals of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Mammals of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus 	Species 	Location 	Stratigraphic position 	Abundance 	Notes 	
Kennalestes 	
K. gobiensis 	 	 	 	
A placental. Also present in the Djadochta Formation.	
Kryptobaatar 	
K. mandahuensis 	 	 	
The most common mammal in this formation.	
A multituberculate. 	
===Ornithischians===
Ornithischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Ornithischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Ornithischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Ornithischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Ornithischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Ornithischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Ornithischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus 	Species 	Location 	Abundance 	Notes 	Images 	
Hadrosauridae indet. 	
Indeterminate 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	 	
A hadrosaurid. 	 	
Magnirostris 	
M. dodsoni 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	 	
A ceratopsian. 	 	
Pinacosaurus 	
P. mephistocephalus 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	
"Skull, postcranial skeleton, osteoderms.""Table 17.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 364.	
An ankylosaur. 	 	
Protoceratops 	
P. hellenikorhinus 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	
"Complete skull.""Table 22.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 480.	
A ceratopsian. 	 	
?Udanoceratops 	
Indeterminate 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	 	
A giant ceratopsian. 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
===Saurischians===
Saurischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Saurischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Saurischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Saurischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Saurischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Saurischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Saurischian dinosaurs of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus 	Species 	Location 	Abundance 	Notes 	Images 	
cf. Gobipteryx 	
Indeterminate 	 	 	
Eggs similar to those attributed to Gobipteryx minuta from the Djadochta Formation.	 	
Linheraptor 	
L. exquisitusXu, X., Choinere, J., Pittman, M., Tan, Q., Xiao, D., Li, Z., Tan, L., Clark, J., Norell, M., Hone, D.W.E. and Sullivan, C. (In press). "A new dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Inner Mongolia, China." Zootaxa, in press.	
* Wulansuhai 	 	
A dromaeosaurid 	 	
LinhevenatorXu X., Tan Q., Sullivan, C., Han F., Xiao D. (2011)
A Short-Armed Troodontid Dinosaur from the Upper
Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia and Its Implications for
Troodontid Evolution.
PLoS ONE 6(9): e22916. 
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0022916	
L. tani 	
* Wulansuhai 	 	
A troodontid 	 	
Philovenator 	
P. curriei 	
* Wulansuhai 	 	
A troodontid 	 	
Wulatelong 	
W. gobiensis 	
* Wulansuhai 	 	
An oviraptorosaur 	 	
Linhenykus 	
L. monodactylus 	
* Wulansuhai 	 	
An alvarezsaurid 	 	
Machairasaurus 	
M. leptonychus 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	 	
An oviraptorid 	 	
Oviraptoridae indet. 	
Indeterminate 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	 	
An oviraptorid. 	 	
Sauropoda indet. 	
Indeterminate 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	 	
A sauropod. 	 	
Tyrannosauridae indet. 	
Indeterminate 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	 	
A tyrannosaurid. 	 	
Velociraptor 	
V. mongoliensis 	 	 	
Misclassified, only present in the Djadochta Formation.	 	
Velociraptor 	
V. osmolskae 	
* Bayan Mandahu 	 	
A dromaeosaurid. 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	
===Turtles===
Turtles of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Turtles of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Turtles of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Turtles of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Turtles of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Turtles of the Bayan Mandahu Formation	Turtles of the Bayan Mandahu Formation
Genus 	Species 	Location 	Stratigraphic position 	Abundance 	Notes 	
Basilemys 	 	 	 	 	
A softshell turtle. 	
==See also==
* Barun Goyot Formation
* List of fossil sites (with link directory)
* Nemegt Formation
* List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
==References==
Category:Geology of China
Category:Upper Cretaceous Series of Asia