Shanwang Bed sw4, Linchu district, Shantung province (Miocene of China)

Where: Shandong, China (36.5° N, 118.5° E: paleocoordinates 36.4° N, 116.1° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

When: Upper Member (Shanwang Formation), Burdigalian (20.4 - 16.0 Ma)

• MN6, Aragonian, Middle Miocene. There are six layers, which are grouped into 3 members. These members contain 3 fossil-bearing beds. The greatest exposure of SW4 is on Xiao Yao Hill (18m) and is thinnest (a lens 1m deep) on Jiao Yan Hill. Fossils found on Xiao Yao Hill.

•From He et al. 2011: "40Ar/39Ar ages obtained from basalts of the Niushan and Yaoshan Formations, which underlie and overlie the Shanwang Formation, are 21.0 ± 2.5 Ma (2σ, full external error) and 17.3 ± 1.5 Ma (2σ, full external error), respectively. The 40Ar/39Ar age of the basalt in the Shanwang Formation is 17–18 Ma. Given the age constraints of the basalts of the Yaoshan and Shanwang Formations, the age of the Shanwang biota is estimated to be ca. 17 Ma, late Burdigalian of the Early Miocene,". Yu et al. 2021 support this, stating "Paleomagnetic and radio isotope dating data shows that the diatomaceous shale was deposited during Chron C5En, which places it at approximately 18.5 Ma during the Burdigalian stage of the Early Miocene, rather than in the Middle Miocene as previously thought."

Environment/lithology: lacustrine; conglomerate and mudstone

• 'Yellowsih brown basaltic sandy conglomerate intercalated with arenaceous mud stone.'

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: adpression

Collection methods: Flora indicates 'climate in the coastal region of China was then more humid and one of sub-tropical belt, while central parts of the continent were comparatively drier.'

Primary reference: D. Yan, Z. Qiu, and Z. Meng. 1983. Miocene Stratigraphy and mammals of Shanwang, Shandong. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 21(3):210-222 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 43397: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 13.08.2004, edited by Erin Leckey and Lars van den Hoek Ostende

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• The fauna needs revising. The following species are listed by Qiu, but he does not state which member they are from: Ansomys shanwangensis (aplodontid), Plesiosciurus aff. sinensis (sciurid), Hemicyon (Phoberocyon) youngi, Ursavus orientalis, Thaumastocyoninae indet., Probsicidea indet., Brachypotherium sp., Chalicotherium grande, Palaeomeryx tricornis, Lagomeryx spp., Suinae.
Amphibia
 Salientia - Bufonidae
Bufo linquensis n. sp.2 Yang 1977 toad
part/counterpart of a nearly complete specimen
Mammalia
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Lusorex taishanensis n. gen. n. sp.1
Lusorex taishanensis n. gen. n. sp.1 Storch and Qiu 2004 shrew
 Chiroptera - Vespertilionidae
Shanwangia unexpectata n. gen. n. sp.2
Shanwangia unexpectata n. gen. n. sp.2 Yang 1977 vesper bat
multiple specimens, at least one nearly complete with part/counterpart
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
"Brachypotherium shanwangensis" = Diaceratherium shanwangensis
"Brachypotherium shanwangensis" = Diaceratherium shanwangensis Wang 1965 rhinoceros
 Artiodactyla -
Palaeochoerus cf. pascoei even-toed ungulate