Suining Formation

The Suining Formation (simplified Chinese: 遂宁组; traditional Chinese: 遂寧組; pinyin: Suìníng Zǔ) is a geological formation in China whose strata likely date back to the Late Jurassic.^[3] Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.^[4]

Suining Formation
Stratigraphic range: ?Late Jurassic, ~145? Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Sichuan Basin
Underlies	Penglaizhen Formation
Overlies	Upper Shaximiao Formation
Thickness	Several hundred meters
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone
Other	Sandstone, siltstone
Location
Region	Asia
Country	China
Type section
Named by	Lee & Chen (1939)[2]

History

The Suining Formation was identified in 1939. The formation was initially dated to the Tithonian (Late Jurassic).^[2][4][5] A 2019 publication described zircons from the Suining Formation that implied a younger age, the average age being around 115.5–113.3 million years ago (Early Cretaceous, upper Aptian age).^[6] Later research suggested that a Late Jurassic age is more likely based on reinterpretations of the previous zircon-based ages and comparisons of the dinosaur and pollen fossils with other more confidently-dated formations.^[3][1]

Paleobiota

Dinosaurs

Sauropods

Genus	Species	Presence	Materials	Notes	Images
Mamenchisaurus[7]	M. anyuensis[7]	Geographically located in Sichuan, China.[7]		A mamenchisaurid
Qijianglong[8]	Q. guokr		A partial skeleton including cranial bones, most of the neck and tail, and other associated elements.	A mamenchisaurid
Tongnanlong[3]	T. zhimingi	Tongnan District in the Sichuan Basin	A holotype specimen, TNM 0254, consists of three dorsal and six caudal vertebrae, left shoulder girdle (scapula and coracoid), and hindlimb elements (partial tibia, fibula, three metatarsals, and two unguals).	One of the largest known mamenchisaurids

Fish

Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Beiduyu[9]	B. qijiangensis
Ceratodus[3]	C. szechuanensis

Turtles

Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Plesiochelys[3]	P. tatsuensis

See also

• Qijianglong
• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations

References

1. Huang, Diying (2018-10-19). "Jurassic integrative stratigraphy and timescale of China". Science China Earth Sciences. 62 (1): 223–255. doi:10.1007/s11430-017-9268-7. ISSN 1674-7313.
2. Lee, Y. Y & Chen, B. F. (1939). Geological Review, 4(5): 339.
3. Wei, X.; Tan, Y.; Jiang, S.; Ding, J.; Li, L.; Wang, X.; Liu, Y.; Wei, G.; Li, D.; Liu, Y.; Peng, G.; Zhang, S.; Lao, C. (2025). "A new mamenchisaurid from the Upper Jurassic Suining Formation of the Sichuan Basin in China and its implication on sauropod gigantism". Scientific Reports. 15 24808. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-09796-0.
4. Peng, G. Z., Ye, Y., Gao, Y. H., Shu, C. K. & Jiang, S. Jurassic Dinosaur Faunas in Zigong (Sichuan People’s Publishing House, 2005).
5. Gao, H. C., Zheng, R. C., Ke, G. M. & Wen, H. G. (2006). Characteristics of sedimentary facies of the Suining Formation of Upper Jurassic in western Sichuan Basin. J. Palaeogeol. 8, 467–476.
6. Wang, Jun; Norell, Mark A.; Pei, Rui; Ye, Yong; Chang, Su-Chin (July 2019). "Surprisingly young age for the mamenchisaurid sauropods in South China". Cretaceous Research. 104: 104176. Bibcode:2019CrRes.10404176W. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.07.006.
7. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Jurassic, Asia)". In Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; Osmólska, Halszka (eds.). The Dinosauria (2nd ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 550–552. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
8. Lida Xing; Tetsuto Miyashita; Jianping Zhang; Daqing Li; Yong Ye; Toru Sekiya; Fengping Wang; Philip J. Currie (2015). "A new sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of China and the diversity, distribution, and relationships of mamenchisaurids". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (1): e889701. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.889701. S2CID 86062974.
9. Alison M. Murray; Lida Xing; Julien Divay; Juan Liu; Fengping Wang (2015). "A Late Jurassic freshwater fish (Ginglymodi, Lepisosteiformes) from Qijiang, Chongqing, China". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (2): e911187. Bibcode:2015JVPal..35E1187M. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.911187. S2CID 85946657.

Bibliography

• Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; Osmólska, Halszka, eds. (2004). The Dinosauria (2nd ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 1–880. ISBN 0-520-24209-2. Retrieved 2019-02-21.