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Macroelongatoolithus carlylei
Taxonomy
Oolithes carlylensis was named by Jensen (1970). It is considered to be a form taxon. Its type specimen is BYU-E 200, an egg, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Castle Dale, Jensen Locality 1, which is in a Cenomanian terrestrial shale in the Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah.
It was recombined as Spheroolithus carlynensis by Mikhailov (1997); it was recombined as Boletuoolithus carlylensis by Bray (1998); it was misspelled as Macroelongatoolithus carleylei by Krumenacker et al. (2022); it was recombined as Macroelongatoolithus carlylei by Zelenitsky et al. (2000), Jin et al. (2007), Bonde et al. (2008), Kim et al. (2011), Tanaka et al. (2011), Huh et al. (2014), Tanaka et al. (2016), Krumenacker et al. (2017), Simon et al. (2019), Hedge et al. (2025).
It was recombined as Spheroolithus carlynensis by Mikhailov (1997); it was recombined as Boletuoolithus carlylensis by Bray (1998); it was misspelled as Macroelongatoolithus carleylei by Krumenacker et al. (2022); it was recombined as Macroelongatoolithus carlylei by Zelenitsky et al. (2000), Jin et al. (2007), Bonde et al. (2008), Kim et al. (2011), Tanaka et al. (2011), Huh et al. (2014), Tanaka et al. (2016), Krumenacker et al. (2017), Simon et al. (2019), Hedge et al. (2025).
Synonyms
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Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1970 | Oolithes carlylensis Jensen pp. 62-63 figs. 5, Pl. 1:1-2 |
| 1995 | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis Li et al. pp. 38-39 |
| 1995 | Longiteresoolithus xixiaensis Wang and Zhou p. 262 |
| 1995 | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis Wang and Zhou p. 262 |
| 1997 | Spheroolithus carlynensis Mikhailov p. 78 |
| 1998 | Boletuoolithus carlylensis Bray p. 221 |
| 2000 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Zelenitsky et al. p. 131–132 |
| 2002 | Macroelongatoolithus xixia Cousin p. 44 |
| 2002 | Longiteresoolithus xixiaensis Zhou and Feng p. 69 |
| 2007 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Jin et al. p. 82 |
| 2007 | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis Jin et al. p. 82 |
| 2008 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Bonde et al. p. 255 |
| 2008 | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis Jin p. 53 |
| 2009 | Longiteresoolithus xixiaensis Liang et al. p. 1591 |
| 2010 | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis Wang et al. p. 96 |
| 2010 | Megafusoolithus qiaoxianensis Wang et al. p. 97 |
| 2010 | Megafusoolithus qiaoxianensis Wang et al. |
| 2011 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Kim et al. p. 18 |
| 2011 | Macroelongatoolithus goseongensis Kim et al. p. 18 figs. 2, 5 |
| 2011 | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis Kim et al. p. 18 |
| 2011 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Tanaka et al. p. 45 |
| 2012 | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis Wang et al. p. 403 |
| 2012 | Megafusoolithus qiaoxianensis Wang et al. p. 404 |
| 2014 | Macroelongatoolithus goseongensis Huh et al. p. 218 |
| 2014 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Huh et al. p. 220 |
| 2014 | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis Huh et al. pp. 220-221 |
| 2016 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Tanaka et al. p. 353 |
| 2017 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Krumenacker et al. p. 170 |
| 2019 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Simon et al. p. 7–8 |
| 2022 | Macroelongatoolithus carleylei Krumenacker et al. p. 1339 |
| 2025 | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Hedge et al. pp. 6-7 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
†Macroelongatoolithus carlylei Jensen 1970
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Invalid names: Longiteresoolithus xixiaensis Wang and Zhou 1995 [synonym], Macroelongatoolithus goseongensis Kim et al. 2011 [synonym], Megafusoolithus qiaoxianensis Wang et al. 2010 [synonym]
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| Y. Li et al. 1995 (Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis) | Giant, elongated eggs have a long diameter of 393–516 mm and a transverse diameter of 130–179 mm, with a ratio of approximately 3:1. The eggshell is grayish-black, with oval, nodular projections on the surface. Its long diameter is generally 1–2 mm, and its short diameter is approximately 1 mm. The shell thickness is 2.0–3.2 mm. The inner surface of the eggshell is denser than the outer surface. Energy dispersive spectroscopic analysis reveals that, in addition to CaCO₃, the main components of the eggshell include 4.03–4.37 at% Si. This is due to the fact that during diagenesis, the egg fossil was surrounded or filled with mineral-rich siltstone, partially replacing the minerals in the eggshell. The pores are round, with a diameter of 0.1–0.2 mm. All pores observed under a polarizing microscope are filled with SiO2. The eggshell is composed of a prismatic layer and a papillary layer. The vertical laminations and the papillary layer are very thin, accounting for only 1/7–1/8 of the shell thickness. The prismatic layer has a micrite structure, lamellar texture, matte shading, and powder crystal structure, with a particle size of 0.18 x 0.09 mm. There is no obvious boundary between the prismatic layer and the papillary layer, but the two can be distinguished. | |
| D. K. Zelenitsky et al. 2000 | Same as for oogenus. | |
| J. Y. Kim et al. 2011 (Macroelongatoolithus goseongensis) | Large, elongate eggs, 39 cm in length. Elongation index 3.4. Shell thickness 2.3-3.1 mm. Continuous to mammillary layer ratio 2.5:1-4.8:1. Eggs arranged within ring-like clutch. | |
| M. Huh et al. 2014 (Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis) | Large, elongate eggs 39 – 52 cm long and 13 – 18 cm wide. Elongation index ranges from 2.6 to 3.9. Continuous layer to mammillary layer ratio variable, with a distinct, undulating boundary between layers. Eggshell thickness ranges from 1.5 to 4.45 mm including surface ornamentation. Shell surface covered with coarse lineartuberculate ornamentation at equator grading to dispersituberculate at the poles. Eggs arranged in pairs within single-layered ring-shaped clutch with a central space devoid of eggs (modified after Jin et al. 2007). | |
| D. J. Simon et al. 2019 | Same as for oogenus. | |
| J. Hedge et al. 2025 | Large, elongate eggs exceeding 250 mm and up to 610 mm long. TST, including ornamentation, is 1.38–4.75 mm. Abrupt, undulating boundary separates the CL and ML. CL:ML ratio ranges widely from 2:1 to 8:1. Crystal splaying across the ML/CL boundary occurs at random intervals. Ornamentation is variable both in type and relief and may grade from dispersituberculate at the poles to lineartuberculate along the middle portion of the length of the egg; smooth patches may occur near poles. Clutches consist of paired eggs in a ring-shaped configuration with an external clutch diameter of up to 3 m. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: o = order | |||||
| References: Marsh 1875, Kiessling 2004 | |||||
Age range: base of the Late/Upper Albian to the top of the Campanian or 106.30000 to 72.20000 Ma
Collections (21 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albian | China (Zhejiang) | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis (86428) | |
| Late/Upper Albian - Early/Lower Cenomanian | USA (Utah) | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei (204699) | |
| Late/Upper Albian - Early/Lower Cenomanian | USA (Idaho) | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei (204701 204702) | |
| Cenomanian | USA (Nevada) | Macroelongatoolithus carlylei (181585) | |
| Early/Lower Cenomanian | USA (Utah) | Dinosauria indet. (228455) Macroelongatoolithus carlylei (14399 117467 204698 206450 206452 239609 239610 239612 239614) Oolithes carlylensis (type locality: 52973) | |
| Cenomanian - Turonian | China (Henan) | Longiteresoolithus xixiaensis (178692 232202) | |
| Santonian - Campanian | China (Henan) | Longiteresoolithus xixiaensis (232203) | |
| Campanian | South Korea (Jeollanam-do) | Macroelongatoolithus xixiaensis (232503) | |
| Campanian | South Korea (Gyeongsangnam-do) | Macroelongatoolithus goseongensis (220089) |