The Ilek Formation is a Lower Cretaceous geologic formation in Western Siberia. Many different fossils have been recovered from the formation. It overlies the Late Jurassic Tyazhin Formation and underlies the Albian Kiya Formation.[1]

Ilek Formation
Stratigraphic range: Lower Cretaceous,
BarremianAptian
Shestakovo 1 locality
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofKiya River Basin
UnderliesKiya Formation
OverliesTyazhin Formation
ThicknessUp to 746 metres (2,450 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryClay, siltstone
OtherMarl, sandstone
Location
Coordinates55°54′N 88°00′E / 55.9°N 88.0°E / 55.9; 88.0
Approximate paleocoordinates54°12′N 84°36′E / 54.2°N 84.6°E / 54.2; 84.6
RegionWestern Siberia
Country Russia
Extent Kemerovo Oblast
Type section
Named byL. A. Ragozin
Year defined1935
Ilek Formation is located in Russia
Ilek Formation
Ilek Formation (Russia)
Ilek Formation is located in Kemerovo Oblast
Ilek Formation
Ilek Formation (Kemerovo Oblast)

The formation was described by L. A. Ragozin in 1935. It consists of sands with sandstone concretions, layers of silts, clays and marls.[2] Age of the formation, according to a crude 1962 estimate, is Valanginian(?) - Hauterivian - Barremian. Its thickness varies greatly, reaching 746 m in Teguldet borehole.[3] A more recent 2024 estimate based on invertebrate and vertebrate fossils placed the age of the formation at Barremian–Aptian.[4]

 
Shestakovo 3 locality

The Ilek Formation conformably overlies the Upper Jurassic Tyazhin Formation.[1] Gastropods and bivalves of Valanginian age have been recovered from the lower part of the formation, and gastropods and bivalves of Hauterivian to Barremian age have been found in the upper part, as well as Barremian ostracods. The age of the Shestakovo 1 locality is poorly constrained.[5] Palynological samples from the Shestakovo 3 locality are characteristic of the Aptian. No angiosperm pollen has been found at this locality, indicating that it is older than the Albian.[6] The upper layers of the formation do contain angiosperm pollen, indicating that part of the formation may extend into the Albian. The overlying Kiya Formation is upper Albian based on plant biostratigraphy.[1]

Fauna

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Amphibians

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Amphibians reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Kiyatriton K. leshchinskiyi[7]
  • Shestakovo 1
Atlas, trunk vertebrae, fragmentary dentaries, femora, humerus, and nearly complete ilium A crown-group salamander
Kuzbassia K. sola[8]
  • Shestakovo 1
Two atlantal centra and a trunk vertebral centrum A karaurid

Mammaliamorphs

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Mammaliamorphs reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Acinacodus A. tagaricus[9] Right dentary fragment An amphidontid mammal
Baidabatyr B. clivosus[10]
  • Bol'shoi Kemchug 3
Upper premolar A multituberculate
Gobiconodon G. borissiaki[11] 21 upper and lower jaws. A gobiconodont
G. hoburensis[12] A fragmentary lower jaw.
Kemchugia K. magna[13] A tooth An amphilestid mammal
Kiyatherium K. cardiodens[14] A maxilla A zhangheotheriid mammal
Sibirotherium S. rossicum[15]
  • Bol'shoi Kemchug 4
M1 tooth;[15] mandibular fragments[16] A docodontan mammaliaform
Xenocretosuchus X. sibiricus[17] Dental elements A tritylodontid mammaliamorph
Yermakia Y. domitor[13]
  • Shestakovo 1
A mandible A tinodontid mammal

Choristoderes

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Choristoderes reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
cf. Khurendukhosaurus[18] K. cf. sp
  • Bol'shoi Kemchug 3
Dorsal vertebra, sacral vertebra A non-neochoristodere choristodere
"Shestakovo choristodere"[18]
  • Shestakovo
  • Bol'shoi Kemchug 3
  • Bol'shaya Terekhtul' 2
Fragmentary dentaries, several vertebrae, rib fragments A possible neochoristodere
Choristodera[18] Indeterminate
  • Smolenskii Yar
Cervical centrum May represent a taxon distinct from both Khurendukhosaurus and the "Shestakovo choristodere"

Lizards

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Lizards reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Paramacellodidae Indeterminate[4]
  • Kemchug assemblage
  • Kiya assemblage
Platynota Indeterminate[4]
  • Kemchug assemblage
Xenosauridae Indeterminate[4]
  • Kemchug assemblage
  • Kiya assemblage
A knob-scaled lizard

Turtles

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Turtles reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Kirgizemys A macrobaenid

Crocodylomorphs

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Crocodylomorphs reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Kyasuchus K. saevi[19]
  • Shestakovo 3
A partial skull A shartegosuchid crocodyliform
Tagarosuchus T. kulemzini[20]
  • Shestakovo 3
Nearly complete skull A crocodyliform

Pterosaurs

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Pterosaurs reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Image
?Ctenochasmatidae Indeterminate[13]
  • Bol'shoi Kemchug 3
Lonchognathosaurus L. cf. sp.[21]
  • Novochernorechensk
Wing metacarpal fragment A dsungaripterid
Ornithocheiridae Indeterminate[22]
  • Shestakovo 1
Pterodactyloidea Indeterminate[13]
  • Bol'shoi Kemchug 3

Dinosaurs

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Sauropodomorphs

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Sauropodomorphs reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Lithostrotia Indeterminate[23] Caudal vertebrae Potentially three distinct taxa of titanosaur
Sibirotitan S. astrosacralis[5]
  • Shestakovo 1
  • Shestakovo 3[24]
Vertebrae, sacrum, and pedal elements A somphospondylan sauropod
 

Ornithischians

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Ornithischians reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Ornithischia Indeterminate[4]
  • Shestakovo 1
  • Bol'shoi Kemchug 3
Isolated teeth Originally identified as two distinct "hypsilophodontid" taxa[25]
Psittacosaurus P. sibiricus[26]
  • Shestakovo
Several skeletons A ceratopsian
 
Stegosauria Indeterminate[13]
  • Bol'shoi Kemchug 3
Isolated teeth[25]

Theropods

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Theropods reported from the Ilek Formation
Genus Species Locality Material Notes Images
Evgenavis E. nobilis[27] A set of limb elements A confuciusornithiform
 
Kiyacursor K. longipes[28]
  • Shestakovo 1
Partial skeleton including cervical and caudal vertebrae, cervical and dorsal ribs, a left scapulocoracoid, humeri, and much of both hind limbs[28] A noasaurid theropod
 
Paraves Indeterminate[29] Teeth May belong to either Microraptorinae or Troodontidae
Mystiornis M. cyrili[30]
  • Shestakovo 1
Isolated metatarsus An avisaurid enantiornithean
 
Paraves Indeterminate[29] Teeth May belong to either Microraptorinae or Troodontidae
Tyrannosauroidea Indeterminate[29] Teeth
Urbacodon U. cf. sp.[29] Teeth A troodontid with unserrated teeth

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Golovneva, L. B.; Shchepetov, S. V. (April 2010). "Phytostratigraphy of Albian-Cenomanian sediments in the Kiya River basin (the Chulym-Yenisei area of the west Siberian lowland)". Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation. 18 (2): 153–165. Bibcode:2010SGC....18..153G. doi:10.1134/s0869593810020048. ISSN 0869-5938. S2CID 140540821.
  2. ^ Криштофович А. Н., ed. (1955). "Илекская свита". Геологический словарь. Vol. 1 (А-Л). Рипол Классик. p. 271. ISBN 9785458366533.
  3. ^ Лебедев И. В., ed. (1962). Биостратиграфия мезозойских и третичных отложений Западной Сибири. pp. 168–169.
  4. ^ a b c d e Ivantsov, S. V.; Fayngerts, A. V.; Feofanova, O. A.; Vladimirova, O. N.; Slobodin, D. A. (2024). "Early Cretaceous continental sedimentatary environments, palaeogeography and biota of southeastern Western Siberia". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 545. doi:10.1144/SP545-2023-62.
  5. ^ a b Averianov, Alexander; Ivantsov, Stepan; Skutschas, Pavel; Faingertz, Alexey; Leshchinskiy, Sergey (2018). "A new sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Ilek Formation, Western Siberia, Russia". Geobios. 51 (1): 1–14. Bibcode:2018Geobi..51....1A. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2017.12.004. ISSN 0016-6995.
  6. ^ Bugdaeva, E V; Markevich, V S; Volynets, E B (2017). "Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstruction of the Early Cretaceous psittacosaur localities, Asia". Proceedings and Field Guidebook for the Fifth International Symposium of International Geoscience Programme IGCP Project 608. Fifth International Symposium of International Geoscience Programme. Jeju Island, Korea. pp. 31–34.
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  12. ^ Maschenko, E. N.; Lopatin, A. V. (1998). "First record of an Early Cretaceous triconodont mammal in Siberia". Bull. Inst. R. Sci. Nat. Belg. 68: 233–236.
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  14. ^ E. N. Maschenko and A. V. Lopatin. 2002. A new Early Cretaceous mammal from Western Siberia. Doklady Biological Sciences 386:475-477
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  28. ^ a b Averianov, A. O.; Skutschas, P. P.; Atuchin, A. A.; Slobodin, D. A.; Feofanova, O. A.; Vladimirova, O. N. (2024). "The last ceratosaur of Asia: a new noasaurid from the Early Cretaceous Great Siberian Refugium". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 291 (2023). 20240537. doi:10.1098/rspb.2024.0537.
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