The Luning Formation is a geologic formation in Nevada. It preserves fossils dating back to the Triassic period. The lowermost strata dates to the late Carnian-early Norian boundary.

Luning Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Carnian-Early Norian
~227 Ma[1]
TypeFormation
Location
Region Nevada
Country United States

Fossil content

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The Luning Formation contains significant fossils of invertebrate fauna such as ammonites, bivalves and brachiopods. The site is known for its ichthyosaur fossils.

Vertebrates

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Vertebrates reported from the Luning Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Actinopterygii West Union Canyon.[2] S. kerri ammonoid zone.[2] Small fish bones.[2] An indeterminate bony fish.
Chondrichthyes West Union Canyon[2] K. macrolobatus ammonoid zone.[2] An elasmobranch fin spine.[2] An indeterminate cartilaginous fish.
Metapolygnathus M. primitius Pilot & Cedar Mountains.[3] Conodont elements.[3] A conodont.
Shonisaurus S. popularis West Union Canyon, Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.[2] Remains of approximately 40 individuals.[4] A large ichthyosaur.
 
Vertebrata indet. West Union Canyon.[2] S. kerri ammonoid zone or above.[2] Indeterminate bone fragments.[2]

Invertebrates

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Arthropods

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Arthropods reported from the Luning Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Platypleon P. nevadensis A fragmentary specimen containing two pleonal segments and the proximal portion of the left uropods.[5] A decapod.
Pseudoglyphea P. mulleri Carapace.[5] A litogastrid decapod.
Rosagammarus R. minichiellus Shoshone Mountains.[5][6] Right half of a tail.[5] A lobster-like decapod, originally misidentified as a giant amphipod.[6]

Brachiopods

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Brachiopods reported from the Luning Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Balatonospira? B.? cf. B. lipoldi Dunlap Canyon & Cinnabar Canyon.[7] Lower Member.[7] Numerous specimens.[7] A spiriferidan.
Plectoconcha P. aequiplicata Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park & Pilot Mountains.[7] Limestone and secondary dolomite member, & Lower Member.[7] Numerous specimens.[7] A terebratulid.
P. newbyi Dunlap Canyon & Cinnabar Canyon.[7] Lower Member.[7] Numerous specimens.[7] A terebratulid.
Rhaetina R. gregaria Cinnabar & Dunlap Canyons, & Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.[7] Lower Member & limestone and secondary dolomite member.[7] Around 10 specimens.[7] A terebratulidan.
 
Spondylospira S. lewesensis Dunlap Canyon & Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.[7] Lower Member.[7] 3 complete specimens, 1 brachial & 2 pedicle valves.[7] A spiniferidan.
Zeilleria Z. cf. Z. elliptica Dunlap & Cinnabar Canyons.[7] Lower Member.[7] Over 12 specimens.[7] A zeilleriid.
 
Zugmayerella Z. uncinata Dunlap Canyon & Cinnabar Canyon.[7] Lower Member. [7] Numerous specimens.[7] A spiniferidan.
?Z. sp. 14.5 km east of Mina, Nevada.[7] Probably Lower Member.[7] A pedicle valve (UMIP 6952).[7] A spiniferidan.

Cephalopods

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Cephalopods reported from the Luning Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Guembelites G. clavatus Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.[3] An ammonite.
G. jandianus Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.[3] An ammonite.
G. philostrati Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.[3] An ammonite.
Pararcestes P. sp. Mustang Canyon locality & Dunlap Canyon.[3] An ammonite.
Stikinoceras S. kerri Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.[3] An ammonite.
Thisbites T. sp. Pilot Mountains & Shoshone Mountains.[3] An ammonite.

Cnidarians

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Cnidarians reported from the Luning Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Ampakabastrea A. cowichanensis Dunlap Canyon, Mina vicinity & Mineral County, Nevada.[3] 6 specimens.[3] A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.
Areaseris A. nevadaensis Dunlap Canyon.[3] Multiple specimens.[3] A stony coral also found in California.
Astraeomorpha A. confusa Dunlap Canyon.[3] 2 specimens.[3] A stony coral.
Ceriostella C. martini Pilot Mountains & east of Mina.[3] 6 specimens.[3] A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.
C. parva Pilot Mountains.[3] 3 specimens.[3] A stony coral also found in Alaska.
Curtoseris C. dunlapcanyonae Dunlap Canyon.[3] UMIP 17010.[3] A stony coral also found in Alaska & Peru.
Distichomeandra D. cf. minor Cedar Mountains (Dicalite Summit).[3] UMIP 26869.[3] A stony coral.
Flexastrea F. serialis Mineral County, Nevada.[3] 4 specimens. A stony coral.
Khytrastrea K. cuifiamorpha Dunlap Canyon.[3] UMIP 7465 & 7480.[3] A stony coral.
K. silberlingi Dunlap Canyon.[3] UMIP 17002-1.[3] A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.
Margarogyra M. silberlingi Mineral County, Nevada.[3] A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.
Margarophyllidae undetermined genus East of Mina, Pilot Mountains.[3] Fragmentary, recrystallized specimen (UMIP 6676).[3] A stony coral.
Meandrovolzeia M. sp. Pilot Mountains.[3] A colony fragment UMIP 6720.[3] A stony coral.
Minasteria M. shastensis Pilot Mountains & Mina vicinity.[3] 7 specimens.[3] A stony coral also found in California.
Nevadoseris N. punctata Dunlap & Cinnabar Canyons.[3] Multiple specimens.[3] A stony coral also found in the Osobb Formation.
Plectodiscus P. berlinensis West Union Canyon, Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.[8] UCMP 38211.[8] A chondrophore.
Retiophyllia R. nevadae Mineral County, Nevada.[3] UCMP 153092.[3] A stony coral.
R. sp. Dunlap Canyon.[3] Fragments of corallites.[3] A stony coral.
Thamnasteria T. cf. smithi Dunlap & Cinnabar canyons.[3] 2 specimens.[3] A thamnasteriid coral.
 

Sponges

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Sponges reported from the Luning Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Polycystocoelia P. silberlingi Garfield Hills.[9] Lower Member.[9] Oe specimen (UMIP 6653).[9] A demosponge.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Balini, M.; Jenks, James F.; Martin, R.; McRoberts, Christopher A.; Orchard, Michael J.; Silberling, Norman J. (2015). "The Carnian/Norian boundary succession at Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park (Upper Triassic, central Nevada, USA)". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 89: 399–433. doi:10.1007/s12542-014-0244-2.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kelley, Neil P.; Irmis, Randall B.; dePolo, Paige E.; Noble, Paula J.; Montague-Judd, Danielle; Little, Holly; Blundell, Jon; Rasmussen, Cornelia; Percival, Lawrence M.E.; Mather, Tamsin A.; Pyenson, Nicholas D. (December 2022). "Grouping behavior in a Triassic marine apex predator". Current Biology. 32 (24): 5398–5405.e3. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.005. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 36538877. S2CID 254874088.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap Roniewicz, Ewa; Stanley, George D. (September 2013). "Upper Triassic corals from Nevada, western North America, and the implications for paleoecology and paleogeography". Journal of Paleontology. 87 (5): 934–964. doi:10.1666/12-081. ISSN 0022-3360. S2CID 130114030.
  4. ^ Montague-Judd, Danielle; Parrish, Judith Totman (1996). "Paleoceanographic Setting of the Upper Triassic Luning Formation (Nevada) and Implications for the Distribution of Shonisaurus (Diapsida: Ichthyosauria)". The Paleontological Society Special Publications. 8: 279. doi:10.1017/S2475262200002811. ISSN 2475-2622.
  5. ^ a b c d Hegna, Thomas; Starr, Hunter; McMenamin, Mark (June 2016). "Epilogue to the tale of the Triassic amphipod: Rosagammarus McMenamin, Zapata and Hussey, 2013 is a decapod tail (Luning Formation, Nevada, USA)". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 36 (4): 525–529. doi:10.1163/1937240X-00002444. ISSN 0278-0372.
  6. ^ a b McMenamin, Mark A. S.; Zapata, Lesly P.; Hussey, Meghan C. (2013). "A Triassic Giant Amphipod from Nevada, USA". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 33 (6): 751–759. doi:10.1163/1937240X-00002192. ISSN 0278-0372. JSTOR 43836791.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Sandy, Stanley Jr, Michael R., George D. (July 1993). "Late Triassic brachiopods from the Luning Formation, Nevada, and their palaeobiogeographical significance". The Palaeontological Association. 36: 439–480.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ a b Hogler, Jennifer A.; Hanger, Rex A. (1989). "A New Chondrophorine (Hydrozoa, Velellidae) from the Upper Triassic of Nevada". Journal of Paleontology. 63 (2): 249–251. doi:10.1017/S0022336000019296. ISSN 0022-3360. JSTOR 1305362. S2CID 131299201.
  9. ^ a b c Senowbari-Daryan, Baba; Stanley, George D. (March 1992). "Late Triassic thalamid sponges from Nevada". Journal of Paleontology. 66 (2): 183–193. doi:10.1017/S0022336000033692. ISSN 0022-3360. S2CID 132344431.