The Jinju Formation (Korean: 진주층; Hanja: 晋州層; RR: Jinju-cheung) is an Early Cretaceous geologic formation in South Korea.[2] Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.[3] The depositional age of this formation spans from approximately 112.4 ± 1.3 to 106.5 million years ago (early Albian) based on detrital zircon U-Pb dating.[4] It predominantly consists of black shale, with sandstone packets, deposited in a fluvial-lacustrine setting.
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A diverse arthropod fauna, including freshwater arthropods, spiders, and insects, is known from the formation. Other notable fossils known from the formation include several freshwater fishes, ostracods, and plants. This formation has also "attracted global ichnological attention" for the variety of important ichnofossils.[5] Columnar and rod-shaped stromatolites have also been found here.[6]
Flora
More information Plants of the Jinju Formation ...
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Spiders
More information Spiders of the Jinju Formation ...
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Insects
Jinju formation consists of a diverse order of insects: Orthoptera, Homoptera, Mantodea, Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Dermaptera, Neuroptera, Blattoidea, Hemiptera, Odonata, Mecoptera, etc.
Alienoptera
More information Alienopterans of the Jinju Formation ...
Alienopterans of the Jinju Formation[11] |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Umenocoleus[11] |
U. minimus |
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A member of Umenocoleidae |
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Psedoblattapterix[11] |
P. weoni |
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Petropterix[11] |
P. koreaensis |
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Blattodea
More information Blattodeans of the Jinju Formation ...
Blattodeans of the Jinju Formation[12] |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Rhipidioblattina |
- R. sp. cf. R. radipinguis
- R?. sp. cf. R. jilinensis
- R. sp. A
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Mesoblattina |
- M. sp. A
- M. sp. B
- M. sp. C
- M. sp. D
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Samaroblatta |
S. sp. cf. S. rhypha |
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Blattula |
- B. sp. cf. B. exetenuata
- B. sp. A
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Mesoblattula |
M. sp. |
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Sclerotermes[13] |
S. samsiki |
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A termite known only from an isolated wing, uncertain placement |
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Indeterminate |
A total of 13 indeterminate species |
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Coleoptera
More information Beetles of the Jinju Formation ...
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Dermaptera
More information Earwigs of the Jinju Formation ...
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Diptera
More information Flies of the Jinju Formation ...
Flies of the Jinju Formation |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Buccinatormyia[22] |
B. gangnami |
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A member of the family Zhangsolvidae. Named after Gangnam Style, the famous K-Pop hit song |
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Hemiptera
More information Hemipterans of the Jinju Formation ...
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Hymenoptera
More information Hymenopterans of the Jinju Formation ...
Hymenopterans of the Jinju Formation |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Korehelorus |
K. jinjuensis[24] |
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A parasitic wasp belonging to the family Heloridae |
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Hanguksyntexis |
H. haeretica[25] |
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A sawfly belonging to the family Anaxyelidae |
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Odonata
More information Dragonflies of the Jinju Formation ...
Dragonflies of the Jinju Formation |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Hemeroscopus |
H. baissicus[26] |
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Orthoptera
More information Orthopterans of the Jinju Formation ...
Orthopterans of the Jinju Formation |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Panorpidium |
P. spica[27] |
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A member of Elcanidae |
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Raphidioptera
More information Snakeflies of the Jinju Formation ...
Snakeflies of the Jinju Formation |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Mesoraphidia[28] |
- M. koreensis
- M. phantasma
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A member of Mesoraphidiidae |
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Neuroptera
More information Lacewings of the Jinju Formation ...
Lacewings of the Jinju Formation |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Tachinymphes |
T. koraiensis[29] |
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A member of the family Mesochrysopidae. |
Araripeneura |
A. asiatica[30] |
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A member of Araripeneuridae |
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Araripenymphes |
A. koreicus[30] |
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A member of Cratosmylidae |
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Crustaceans
Isopoda
More information Isopods of the Jinju Formation ...
Isopods of the Jinju Formation |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Archaeoniscus[31] |
A. coreaensis |
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A freshwater occurrence of the genus Archaeoniscus |
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Ostracoda
More information Ostracods of the Jinju Formation ...
Ostracods of the Jinju Formation[32] |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Scabriculocypris |
S. yanbianensis |
Jeongcheon |
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Cypridea |
- C. jinjuria
- C. khandae
- C. samesi[33]
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C. jinjuria in Gwanghyeon |
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Mongolocypris |
M. kohi[34] |
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Lycopterocypris |
L. cf. celsa |
Jeongcheon |
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Candona |
C. sp. |
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Djungarica |
D. sp. |
Jeongcheon |
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Spinicaudata
More information Clam shrimps of the Jinju Formation ...
Clam shrimps of the Jinju Formation |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Yanjiestheria[35] |
- Y. kyongsangensis
- Y. chekiangensis
- Y. cf. wannanensis
- Y. jinjuensis
- Y. sp.
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Vertebrates
Source:[36]
Actinopterygii
More information Fishes of the Jinju Formation ...
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Archosauria
More information Reptiles of the Jinju Formation ...
Reptiles of the Jinju Formation |
Genus |
Species |
Region[40] |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Crocodyliformes indet.[41] |
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Goryeong |
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a right mandible |
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Titanosauriformes indet.[42][43] |
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Sacheon and Goryeong |
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teeth |
A tooth from Sacheon was initially suggested to be of Asian Brachiosaurid by Lim, Martin and Baek (2001), but Barrett et al. (2002) and Choi & Lee (2017) consider it to be indeterminate titanosauriform. Meanwhile, another tooth from Goryeong was suggested to be of Diplodocoidea by Yun et al. (2007), but Choi and Lee (2017) also considered it indeterminate titanosauriform. |
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Pterodactyloidea indet.[42][44] |
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Goryeong |
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teeth |
While the KPE 40001 suggested to be of Boreopterid origin by Choi & Lee (2017), Yun (2021) and Yun (2024) consider them to be Anhanguerian instead based on the morphological disparity from Boreopteridae and the results of two-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses.[45][46] |
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Mollusks
Bivalvia
More information Bivalves of the Jinju Formation ...
Bivalves of the Jinju Formation[47] |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Plicatounio |
P. naktongensis |
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Nagdongia |
N. soni |
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The genus Nagdongia is considered to be synonymous with Nakamuranaia by some. |
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Trigonioides |
T. jaehoi |
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Gastropoda
More information Gastropods of the Jinju Formation ...
Gastropods of the Jinju Formation[8] |
Genus |
Species |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Brotiopsis |
B. kobayashi |
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Dominant gastropod of the formation |
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Thiara |
T. sp. |
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Viviparus[48] |
V. sp. |
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Ichnofossils
Unnamed ichnofossils from the Jinju Formation include Ornithopod tracks and Caddisfly bioherms.[6]
More information Ichnofossils of the Jinju Formation ...
Ichnofossils of the Jinju Formation |
Ichnogenus |
Ichnospecies |
Region |
Member |
Material |
Notes |
Image |
Grallator[49] |
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Theropod track; similar to the ichnospecies G. yangi |
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Corpulentapus[49] |
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Theropod track |
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Asianopodus[49] |
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Theropod track |
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Dromaeosauriformipes[50] |
D. rarus |
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The smallest known non-avian dinosaur didactyl tracks possibly made by a small microraptorine, with indication of important flight behaviors such as flap-running, take-off, and landing.[51] |
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Dromaeosauripus[52] |
D. jinjuensis |
Namhae[40] |
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Didactyl tracks made by a 40 cm (1.3 ft) tall dromaeosaur. |
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Ignotornis |
I. seoungjoseoi[53] |
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Bird Track |
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Jindongornipes |
J. isp.[53] |
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Bird Track |
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Koreasaltipes[54] |
K. jinjuensis |
Jinju[40] |
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Traces left by a hopping mammal |
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Neosauroides |
N. innovatus[55] |
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The largest reported lizard trackway in South Korea. |
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cf. Chelichnus[56] |
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Sacheon[40] |
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Turtle trackway; first identified as Chelonipus isp.[57] |
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Ranipes[56] |
indeterminate |
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Oldest known frog trackway. Made by a species that hopped in short distances. |
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Crocodylopodus[58] |
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First report of this ichogenus from Asia. |
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Batrachopus |
B. grandis[59] |
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Track made by a 3 m (9.8 ft) long bipedal crocodylomorph; the pterosaur trackway ichnospecies Haenamichnus gainensis from the Haman Formation is now assigned to this species as B. cf. grandis.[59] Paleontologist James I. Kirkland expresses doubts on the ichnogenus assignment.[60] |
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Minisauripus |
M. isp.[5] |
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One of the smallest known theropod tracks. Currently the oldest record of this ichnogenus from South Korea. |
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Pteraichnus |
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Pterosaur trackway. P. seopoensis is currently a naked name, since it was only described in a master's thesis. |
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Lockeia |
L. gigantus[48] |
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Resting bivalve trace fossils |
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Diplichnites |
D. isp.[8] |
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Arthropod tracks |
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Coclichnus |
C. isp.[8] |
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Trace by Annelida tracemakers |
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Radialimbricatus[63] |
R. bitoensis |
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Potential tracemakers include arthropods, cnidarians or annelids |
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Protovirgularia[64] |
P. dichotoma |
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First nonmarine occurrence of this ichnotaxon; possibly made by larvae of dragonfly[65] |
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Fictovichnus[66] |
indeterminate |
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Probable insect cocoon or pupation chamber; the earliest record of an insect pupation structure probably associated with a burrow |
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Chondrites |
C. isp.[67] |
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Palaeophycus |
P. tubularis[67] |
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Helminthopsis |
H. hieroglyphica[67] |
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Skolithos |
S. magnus[67] |
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Taenidium |
T. barretti[67] |
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Torrowangea |
T. rosei[67] |
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Engel, Michael A.; Lim, Jong-Deock; Baek, Kwang-Seok; Martin, Larry D. (2002). "An Earwig from the Lower Cretaceous of Korea (Dermaptera: Forficulina)". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 75 (2): 86–90. JSTOR 25086049.
Sohn, J.-C.; Nam, G. S. (2024). "New fossil genus and species of Yuripopovinidae (Insecta: Heteroptera, Coreoidea) from the Lower Cretaceous Jinju Formation, South Korea, with insights into the evolution of exaggerated antennae in the family". Cretaceous Research. 158. 105847. Bibcode:2024CrRes.15805847S. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105847.
Khramov, Alexander V.; Nam, Gi-Soo (October 2024). "Discovery of supposedly "Gondwanan" myrmeleontoids (Neuroptera) in the Lower Cretaceous of South Korea". Cretaceous Research: 106024. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2024.106024.
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Yun, Chan-Gyu (2021). "Boreopterid pterosaur fossils from South Korea reconsidered". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 82: 567–568.
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Kang, Seung Hyeop; Buckley, Lisa G.; McCrea, Richard T.; Kim, Kyung-Soo; Lockley, Martin G.; Lim, Jong Deock; Lim, Hyun Soo; Kim, Cheong-Bin (2021). "First report of bird tracks (Ignotornis seoungjoseoi ichnosp. nov.) from the Jinju Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Sacheon City, Korea". Cretaceous Research. 127 (11): 104899. Bibcode:2021CrRes.12704899K. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104899.
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Lee, Dong-Chan (2018). "Probable insect cocoon or pupation chamber in a channel-fill sandstone bed of the Lower Cretaceous Jinju Formation, South Korea". Lethaia. 51 (3): 433–443. Bibcode:2018Letha..51..433L. doi:10.1111/let.12257.
Kim, J.Y.; Pickerill, R. (2002). "Cretaceous Nonmarine Trace Fossils from the Hasandong and Jinju Formations of the Namhae Area, Kyongsangnamdo, Southeast Korea". Ichnos. 9 (1–2): 41–60. doi:10.1080/10420940190034076.