Precious Fossil-Bearing Beds of the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in Western Liaoning Province, China

Based on the subdivision into three members of the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning, this paper deals mainly with the division and correlation of precious fossil birdand reptile-bearing beds of the formation in the Dachengzi, Chaoyang, Dapingfang.Meileyingzi and Fuxin-Yixian basins. Among them, the precious fossil-bearing beds in the Dachengzi Basin may be recognized as the Xidagou Bed of the second member and the Yangcaogoudonggou Bed of the third member; those in the Chaoyang Basin may be confirmed as the Shangheshou Bed of the second member and the Dongpochi Bed of the third member; those in the Dapingfang-Meileyingzi Basin are as the Lamagou Bed of the second member, the Huanghuagou Bed of the lower third member and the Yuanjiawa Bed of the upper third member; and those in the Fuxin-Yixian Basin are listed as the Tuanshanzi Bed of the second member and the Pijiagou Bed of the third member. Since these basins are distinctly separated and the bird and reptile fossils are mostly new genera and species, we have to use the associated fossil ostracod assemblages as index to correlate the Xidagou Bed with the Shangheshou Bed and the Lamagou Bed, and to correlate the Yuanjiawa Bed with the Yangcaogoudonggou Bed and the Pijiagou Bed. Primarily, we established the sequence of the precious fossil-bearing beds of the Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning. They are represented by, in ascending order, the Xidagou Bed of the second member, the Huanghuagou Bed of the lower third member, and the Yuanjiawa Bed of the upper third member. Obviously, this work has significance for the study on the time-space distribution and radiation of birds and dinosaurs during the period of the middle Early Cretaceous.

Early Cretaceous precious fossil-bearing beds in Weijialing—Yaolugou of Jianchang Basin,western Liaoning

The Jianchang Basin is one of the main localities of the precious fossils of Jehol Biota in western Liaoning.The fossil-bearing horizons are mainly in the Yixian-and Jiufotang formations.In the Weijialing--Yaolugou of southwest Jianchang Basin,many precious fossils have been found at Luojiagou Bed of the 2nd Member of the Yixian Formation and at Xidian Bed of the 1st member of the Jiufotang Formation.The geologic setting,sedimentary environment and paleogeography of the precious fossil-bearing beds were also studied.

1970s Museum recalls precious memories of past generations

This Spring Festival,let's step into the 1970s Museum in Dayuwan Village,Huangpi District,to get reconnected with history.The museum is decorated with furniture,bedding,electrical appliances,farm tools and items used in daily life of the 1970s,and reproduces the traditional life scenes of families living in this ancient illage.