Barun Goyot Formation - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Barun Goyot Formation (West Goyot Formation), dating from the Late Cretaceous

Cretaceous

The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...

Period, is located within and is widely represented in the Gobi Desert

Gobi Desert

The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...

basin, in the Ömnögovi Province

Ömnögovi Province

Ömnögovi is an aimag of Mongolia, located in the south of the country, in the Gobi Desert. Ömnögovi is Mongolia's largest aimag. The capital is Dalanzadgad....

of Mongolia

Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...

.

It was previously known as the "Lower Nemegt Beds", occurring beneath the Nemegt Formation

Nemegt Formation

The Nemegt Formation is a geological formation dating from the Late Cretaceous sedimentary from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. It overlies and sometimes forms folds with the Barun Goyot Formation. It consists of river channel sediments and contains fossils of fish, turtles, crocodilians, birds and a...

and above the Djadokhta Formation. The Red Beds of Khermeen Tsav are also considered part of this formation. It is approximately 4 inches in thickness and was laid down roughly 80-71 mya, making it uncertain whether it should be classed as Campanian

Campanian

The Campanian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch . The Campanian spans the time from 83.5 ± 0.7 Ma to 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma ...

or Maastrichtian

Maastrichtian

The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...

, although the latter is less likely. The Barun Goyot Formation preserves an environment of sand dunes

Dune

In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...

, created from wind-eroded rocks (aeolian dunes).

Saurischians

Saurischians reported from the Barun Goyot Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Material	Notes	Images
Avimimus Avimimus Avimimus , meaning "bird mimic" , was a genus of bird-like maniraptoran dinosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous in what is now Mongolia, around 70 million years ago.-Description:...	Indeterminate	Khulsan		An avimimid similar to Avimimus portentosus from the Nemegt Formation Nemegt Formation The Nemegt Formation is a geological formation dating from the Late Cretaceous sedimentary from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. It overlies and sometimes forms folds with the Barun Goyot Formation. It consists of river channel sediments and contains fossils of fish, turtles, crocodilians, birds and a... .
Ceratonykus Ceratonykus Ceratonykus is a genus of alvarezsaurid theropod dinosaur that existed in the late Cretaceous period. The discovery of a fragmented skeleton in Mongolia in early 2009 has led scientists to question where alvarezsaurids fit taxonomically into Theropoda.-Description:Ceratonykus was a small,...	C. oculatus			An alvarezsaurid
Conchoraptor Conchoraptor Conchoraptor is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period of what is now Asia.-Description:...	C. gracilis	Hermin Tsav		An oviraptorid
Gobipteryx Gobipteryx Gobipteryx is the name given to a genus of enantiornithine bird from the Late Cretaceous Period. Its fossils were found in the Barun Goyot Formation in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia and first described in 1976 from two fragmentary skulls...	G. minuta		"Embryonic skulls and skeletons."	An enantiornithine
Hollanda Hollanda (bird) Hollanda is a genus of small, predatory ground bird known from fossils found in the Barun Goyot Formation of Mongolia. Found at Khermeen Tsav, it dates from the late Cretaceous period , about 75 million years ago. Known only from partial hind limbs, Hollanda has long legs with an unusual...	H. luceria			An ornithuromorh
Hulsanpes Hulsanpes Hulsanpes is the name given to a monotypic genus of theropods, sometimes considered a primitive bird. First described as a dromaeosaur, it lived during the Late Cretaceous. Its fossil remains were found in the Campanian Barun Goyot Formation at Khulsan, Ömnögovi Province, Mongolia...	H. perlei		"Partial foot."	A maniraptora Maniraptora Maniraptora is a clade of coelurosaurian dinosaurs which includes the birds and the dinosaurs that were more closely related to them than to Ornithomimus velox. It contains the major subgroups Avialae, Deinonychosauria, Oviraptorosauria and Therizinosauria. Ornitholestes and the Alvarezsauroidea... n of uncertain classification
"Ingenia Ingenia "Ingenia" is a genus of oviraptorid theropod dinosaurs, with one known species, "Ingenia" yanshini. Fossils have been found in several Late Cretaceous-age formations of Mongolia, most prominently in the Bugin Tsav beds of the Nemegt Formation, which has also yielded the holotype of Mononykus... "	"I." yanshini	Hermin Tsav		An oviraptorid
?Mononykus Mononykus Mononykus was a theropod dinosaur from late Cretaceous Mongolia with long, skinny legs. It moved about on two legs, was very nimble, and could run at high speeds, something that would have been useful in the open desert plains where it lived...	Indeterminate	Khulsan		An alvarezsaurid.
Oviraptorinae Oviraptorinae Oviraptorinae is a subfamily of bird-like maniraptoran theropod dinosaurs within the clade Oviraptoridae.-Classification and species: The classification of the oviraptorids has been controversial... indet.	Indeterminate	Khulsan		An oviraptorid.
Parvicursor Parvicursor Parvicursor is a genus of tiny maniraptoran dinosaur with long slender legs for fast running. At only about 39 cm from snout to end of tail, and 162 grams in weight, it is one of the smallest non-avian dinosaurs known from an adult specimen.Like other members of the family Alvarezsauridae,...	P. remotus	Khulsan	"Partial postcranial skeleton."	An alvarezsaurid
Sauropoda Sauropoda Sauropoda , or the sauropods , are an infraorder of saurischian dinosaurs. They had long necks, long tails, small heads , and thick, pillar-like legs. They are notable for the enormous sizes attained by some species, and the group includes the largest animals to have ever lived on land... indet.	Indeterminate	Khulsan		A sauropod.
Velociraptorinae Velociraptorinae Velociraptorinae is a subfamily of the theropod group Dromaeosauridae. Velociraptorine remains are found mostly in northern hemisphere. In Late Cretaceous, they are mostly present in Mongolia, Romania and China,and in early, in USA. The earliest velociraptorines are probably Nuthetes from the... indet.	Indeterminate	Hermin Tsav Khulsan		A dromaeosaurid.

Lizards

Lizards of the Barun Goyot Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic Position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Estesia Estesia Estesia is an extinct genus of Late Cretaceous helodermatoid lizard found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. It was discovered in June 1990 by a joint expedition made up of Mongolian and American palaeontologists, and described in 1992 by Mark Norell, Malcolm McKenna and Michael Novacek...	Estesia mongoliensis				An anguimorph Anguimorpha Anguimorphs of the infraorder Anguimorpha include the anguids , monitor lizards, the extinct mosasaurs, and helodermatids . The infraorder was named by Fürbringer in 1900 to include all autarchoglossans closer to Varanus and Anguis than Scincus... .
Ovoo Ovoo An ovoo is a type of shamanistic cairn found in Mongolia, usually made from rocks or from wood. Ovoos are often found at the top of mountains and in high places, like mountain passes...	Ovoo gurvel				A Monitor lizard Monitor lizard Monitor lizards are usually large reptiles, although some can be as small as in length. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. Most species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semiaquatic monitors are also known... .
Proplatynotia Proplatynotia Proplatynotia is an extinct genus of varanoid lizard from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. Fossils have been found in the Barun Goyot Formation, which is mid-Campanian in age. The type and only species, P. longirostratia, was named in 1984....	Proplatynotia longirostrata
Gobiderma Gobiderma Gobiderma is an extinct genus of Late Cretaceous lizard whose fossils are known from the Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia. It was first discovered as a result of a joint Polish-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition, and formally named in 1984...	Gobiderma pulchrum				A Monstersaur.

Mammals

Mammals of the Barun Goyot Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic Position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Asiatherium	Asiatherium reshetovi				A marsupial Marsupial Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central... .
Asioryctes	Asioryctes nemegetensis				A placental Eutheria Eutheria is a group of mammals consisting of placental mammals plus all extinct mammals that are more closely related to living placentals than to living marsupials . They are distinguished from noneutherians by various features of the feet, ankles, jaws and teeth... .
Barunlestes	Barunlestes butleri				A placental.
Catopsbaatar Catopsbaatar Catopsbaatar is an extinct genus of mammal that lived in Mongolia during the Upper Cretaceous Period. It coexisted with some of the late dinosaurs. This animal was a member of the extinct order Multituberculata within the Suborder Cimolodonta and family Djadochtatheriidae.The genus Catopsbaatar...	Catopsbaatar catopsaloides				A multituberculate.
Chulsanbaatar Chulsanbaatar Chulsanbaatar is a genus of mammal from the Cretaceous of Mongolia. It lived during the Mesozoic, also known as the "age of the dinosaurs." This small creature was a member of the extinct order of Multituberculata and is within the suborder Cimolodonta. The genus Chulsanbaatar was named by...	Chulsanbaatar vulgaris				A multituberculate.
Deltatheridium Deltatheridium Deltatheridium is an extinct species of metatherian. It lived in what is now Mongolia during the Upper Cretaceous. It was a basal metatherian, which places it near start of the linage that led to the marsupials, such the kangaroo, koala, and opossum.It had a length of...	Deltatheridium pretrituberculare				A marsupial.
Nemegtbaatar Nemegtbaatar Nemegtbaatar is a genus of mammal from the Upper Cretaceous Period of what is now Mongolia. It existed in the company of much larger dinosaurs, found together in the Nemegt Basin. This creature was a member of the extinct order Multituberculata...	Nemegtbaatar gobiensis				A multituberculate.

Ornithischians

Ornithischians of the Barun Goyot Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Material	Notes	Images
Bagaceratops Bagaceratops Bagaceratops, meaning "small-horned face" , is a genus of ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in what is now Mongolia around 80 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous...	B. rozhdestvenskyi	Hermin Tsav Khulsan	"[Five] complete skulls, [twenty] fragmentary skulls, postcranial skeletons, juvenile to adult."	A ceratopsian.
Breviceratops Breviceratops Breviceratops was a ceratopsian dinosaur from Late Cretaceous Mongolia. It was related to Protoceratops. The fossils originally described by Maryanska and Osmolska in 1975 and placed in Protoceratops, were moved to the new genus by Kurzanov in 1990.The type species is Breviceratops...	Breviceratops kozlowskii					A ceratopsian.
Lamaceratops Lamaceratops Lamaceratops,"Lama Horned Face", is a dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period. It is classified as a ceratopsian, a herbivorous "frilled" or armored dinosaur similar to, but smaller than, Bagaceratops. It had a horn on the front of its face, much like most of the later Ceratopsids.The fossils of...	Lamaceratops tereschenkoi					A ceratopsian.
Platyceratops Platyceratops Platyceratops is a dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous, during the Campanian Age, about 75-72 million years ago. Its fossils have been found in Mongolia. Its skull is larger than Bagaceratops; it has been referred to Bagaceratopidae or the Neoceratopsia...	Platyceratops tatarinovi					A ceratopsian.
Saichania Saichania Saichania is a genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period. It was found in the Barun Goyot Formation at Khulsan in the Nemegt Basin, southern Mongolia. It lived during the Campanian. The type species is Saichania chulsanensis.Saichania was described by Teresa Maryańska in 1977,...	S. chulsanensis	Hermin Tsav Khulsan	"."	An ankylosaur.
Tarchia Tarchia Tarchia is a genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur from the late Cretaceous of Mongolia. It is currently the geologically youngest known of all the Asian ankylosaurid dinosaurs and is represented by five or more specimens, including two complete skulls and one nearly complete postcranial skeleton...	T. gigantea	Khulsan		An ankylosaur.
Tylocephale Tylocephale Tylocephale is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period. It was a herbivorous dinosaur estimated to have been about 1.4 metres in length...	T. gilmorei	Khulsan		A pachycephalosaur.

Saurischians

Lizards

Mammals

Ornithischians

See also