Similifaveoloolithus

Similifaveoloolithus is an oogenus of fossil dinosaur egg from the Tiantai basin in Zhejiang Province, China. It is the sole known oospecies of the oofamily Similifaveoloolithidae.[1][2]

Similifaveoloolithus
Temporal range: Aptian
~
Egg fossil classification Edit this classification
Basic shell type: †Dinosauroid-spherulitic
Oofamily: †Similifaveoloolithidae
Oogenus: †Similifaveoloolithus
Wang et al., 2011
Oospecies
  • †S. shuangtangensis Fang et al. 2003 (type)
  • †S. gongzhulingensis Wang et al. 2006

Description

Similifaveoloolithus gongzhulingensis is known from nine specimens, including five complete fossil eggs; S. shuangtangensis is known from two complete fossil eggs of the Aptian Quantou Formation. The eggs are spherical and the pores are very numerous and irregular, with a honeycomb-like appearance. They are 11–12 cm in diameter. The shell is composed of two or three superimposed layers of shell units. S. gongzhulingensis is distinguished from S. shuangtangensis by its thicker eggshell.[1][2]

Parataxonomy

Similifaveoloolithus is the only described oospecies of Similifaveoloolithidae. S. shuangtangensis was originally described as a species of Dendroolithus in 2003.[3] However, Wang et al. (2011) considered it different enough from other ootaxa to be placed into a new oofamily and oogenus.[2] S. gongzhulingensis was originally described as a species of Dictyoolithus, but it was reclassified as a species of Similifaveoloolithus by Wang et al. (2013), because it shares much more in common with S. shuangtangensis than with the Dictyoolithids.[4][1]

References
  1. Wang Qiang, Zhao Zikui, Wang Xiaolin, Zhang Shukang, and Jiang Yan'gen. (2013) "New forms of dictyoolithids from the Tiantai Basin, Zhejiang Province of China and a parataxonomic revision of the dictyoolithids." Vertebrate PalAsiatica 51:43-54.
  2. Wang Qiang, Zhao Zi-kui, Wang Xiao-lin, and Jiang Yan-gen. (2011) "New ootypes of dinosaur eggs from the Late Cretaceous in Tiantai Basin, Zhejiang Province, China." Vertebrata PalAsiatica 49(4):446-449.
  3. Fang Xiaosi; Lu Liwu; Jiang Yangen; and Yang Liangfeng. (2003). "Cretaceous fossil eggs from the Tiantai basin of Zhejiang,with a discussion on the extinction of dinosaurs." Geological Bulletin of China 22(7):512-520.
  4. Wang Q., Zan S Q., Jin L.Y. and Chen J. (2006). "A new oospecies, Dictyoolithus gongzhulingensis, from the Early Cretaceous Quantou Formation in the central Jilin Province." Journal of Jilin University, Earth Science Edition 36(2): 153-157(in Chinese with English abstract)


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