Share to:

Chitarwata Formation

Chitarwata Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Oligocene (Tabenbulakian)-Early Miocene
~28–17 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsBugti Member
OverliesVihowa Formation
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
OtherClaystone
Location
Coordinates29°00′N 69°00′E / 29.0°N 69.0°E / 29.0; 69.0
Approximate paleocoordinates19°24′N 67°42′E / 19.4°N 67.7°E / 19.4; 67.7
RegionBalochistan
Country Pakistan
Type section
Named forChitarwata
Chitarwata Formation is located in Pakistan
Chitarwata Formation
Chitarwata Formation
Chitarwata Formation
Chitarwata Formation (Pakistan)

The Chitarwata Formation is a geological formation in western Pakistan, made up of Oligocene and early Miocene terrestrial fluvial facies. The sediments were deposited in coastal depositional environments (estuarine, strandplain and tidal flats) when Pakistan was partly covered by the Tethys Ocean.

Paleomagnetic data indicates an age range of around 28 to 17 million years ago, with its base in the Oligocene, and its upper boundary, where it meets the overlying Vihowa Formation, of the Early Miocene.

Together with the Vihowa Formation, the Chitarwata Formation records the sedimentation of the Himalayan foreland basin during the collision of the Indian and Asian tectonic plates, the transition from marginal marine to fluvial environments, and the rise of the Himalayas.

Fossil content

The Chitarwata Formation has provided a wealth of terrestrial mammal fossils of the late Paleogene and early Neogene, or Tabenbulakian; the last of the Asian land mammal ages (ALMA).

Among many others, the following fossils are reported from the formation:[1]

Mammals

Artiodactyl

Anthracothere
Anthracotheriidaes of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Anthracotherium A. adiposum
A. bugtiense
A. silistrense
Bugtitherium B. grandincisivum
Microbunodon M. silistrense
Parabrachyodus P. hyopotamoides
Sivameryx S. palaeindicus
Entelodonts
Entelodonts of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Paraentelodon P. sp.
Giraffid
Giraffids of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Progiraffa P. exigua
lophiomerycids
lophiomerycidaes of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Nalameryx N. savagei
N. sulaimani
Lophibaluchia L. pilbeami
Lophiomeryx L. kargilensis
Ruminants
Ruminants of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Bugtimeryx B. pilgrimi
Paalitherium P. gurki

Perissodactyl

Paraceratheriidae
Paraceratheriidaes of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Buzdartherium B. gulkirao
Paraceratherium P. bugtiense
Rhinocerotidae
Rhinocerotidaes of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Aprotodon A. smithwoodwardi
Brachypotherium B. fatehjangense
Epiaceratherium E. magnum
Pleuroceros P. blanfordi

Marsupials

Marsupials of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Asiadidelphis A. akbarbugtii

Rodents

Rodents of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Atavocricetodon A. paaliense
Baluchimys B. barryi
B. chaudryi,
B. ganeshapher
Bugtimys B. zafarullahi
Downsimys D. margolisi
Fallomus F. ginsburgi
F. quraishyi
F. razae
Hodsahibia H. azrae
H. beamshaiensis
H. gracilis
Lindsaya L.derabugtiensis
Primus P. cheemai
P. microps
Spanocricetodon S. sulaiman
Prokanisamys P. arifi
P. kowalskii
Pseudocricetodon P. nawabi
Welcommoides W. gurki
Zindapiria Z. quadricollis

Primates

Primates of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Bugtilemur B. mathesoni
Bugtipithecus B. inexpectans
Guangxilemur Guangxilemur singsilai
Phileosimias P. brahuiorum
P. kamali

Proboscidean

Proboscideans of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Deinotherium D. sp.

Reptiles

Reptiles of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Asifcroco A. retrai A crocodilian.
Astorgosuchus A. bugtiensis A crocodilian.

Fish

Fishs of the Chitarwata Formation
Genus Species Location Materials Notes Image
Carcharhinus C. balochenisis
C. perseus
Cretolamna Cretolamna twiggensis
Hemipristis H. heteropleurus
Nebrius N. obliquum

References

Further reading

  • S. Adnet, P. -O. Antoine, S. R. Hassan Baqri, J. Crochet, L. Marivaux, J. Welcomme, and G. Métais. 2007. New tropical carcharhinids (chondrichthyes, Carcharhiniformes) from the late Eocene–early Oligocene of Balochistan, Pakistan: Paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic implications. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 30(2):303-323
  • G. Métais, P.-O. Antoine, S. R. H. Baqri, M. Benammi, J.-Y. Crochet, D. Franceschi, L. Marivaux and J.-L. Welcomme. 2006. New remains of the enigmatic cetartiodactyl Bugtitherium grandincisivum Pilgrim, 1908, from the upper Oligocene of the Bugti Hills (Balochistan, Pakistan). Naturwissenschaften 93(7):348-355
  • E. H. Lindsay, L. J. Flynn, I. U. Cheema, J. C. Barry, K. Downing, A. R. Rajpar, and S. M. Raza. 2005. Will Downs and the Zinda Pir Dome. Palaeontologia Electronica 8(1):19A:1-18
  • L. Marivaux, P.-O. Antoine, S. R. H. Baqri, M. Benammi, and Y. Chaimanee. 2005. Anthropoid primates from the Oligocene of Pakistan (Bugti Hills): Data on early anthropoid evolution and biogeography. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102(24):8436-8441
  • P.-O. Antoine, J.-L. Welcomme, L. Marivaux, I. Baloch, M. Benammi and P. Tassy. 2003. First record of Paleogene Elephantoidea (Mammalia, Proboscidea) from the Bugti Hills of Pakistan. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 23(4):977-980
  • J.-L. Welcomme and L. Ginsburg. 1997. Mise en évidence de l'Oligocène sur le territoire des Bugti (Balouchistan, Pakistan). Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série IIA 325(12):999-1004
  • L.J. Flynn, L.L. Jacobs, and I.U. Cheema. 1986. Baluchimyinae, A New Ctenodactyloid Rodent Subfamily from the Miocene of Baluchistan. American Museum Novitates 2841:1-58
Kembali kehalaman sebelumnya