The Ilseongsan Formation () is a mid-Cretaceous (Albian to lower Cenomanian) geologic formation in South Korea. Fossil records, including the ornithischian dinosaur Doolysaurus and diverse types of theropod eggs, have been reported.
Geology The Ilseongsan Formation is distributed from Haenam to Mokpo, and conformably overlies the Injiri Formation and is conformably overlain by the Dalido Formation. The lithology of the Ilseongsan Formation is mainly distinguished by the alternation of purple-grey sandstone and light-grey sandstone, intercalated with tuff or tuffaceous sandstones.
The depositional age of the Ilseongsan Formation was initially proposed as lower Campanian () of the Upper Cretaceous based on K-Ar dating of volcanic pebbles from conglomerate units of this formation and samples from an overlying tuff, but Kim et al. (2014) re-dated the tuff, now named the Maewoli Tuff which unconformably overlies the Dalido Formation, to { by using U-PB SHRIMP zircon analysis. It indicates that the underlying Dalido Formation, as well as the Injiri and Ilseongsan Formations, are older. Based on ostracods from the Dalido Formation, Choi et al. (2023) estimated the Dalido and Ilseongsan Formations from the Albian to the Cenomanian (~). But, with the older age estimated of the Maewolli Tuff, the range of the Ilseongsan Formation is considered as Albian to early Cenomanian (~) in age.
Fossil content
Dinosaurs
Ornithischians Ornithischians of the Ilseongsan Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images Doolysaurus D. huhmini Aphaedo Albian to Cenomanian Associated partial skeleton including cranial and postcranial material, in addition to gastroliths A thescelosaurid ornithischian
Oofossils Oofossils of the Ilseongsan Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images Macroelongatoolithus M. carlylei Aphaedo Albian to Cenomanian Complete egg clutch Likely laid by a giant oviraptorosaur Onggwanoolithus O. aphaedoensis Aphaedo Albian to Cenomanian Several eggs Likely laid by ornithurine bird Dendroolithidae indeterminate Aphaedo Albian to Cenomanian Eggshells Likely laid by therizinosaur Prismatoolithidae Indeterminate Aphaedo Albian to Cenomanian Eggshells Likely laid by troodontid Elongatoolithidae Indeterminate Aphaedo Albian to Cenomanian Eggshells Eggshell much thinner than Macroelongatoolithus from the same formation. Likely laid by oviraptorosaur.
See also
List of stratigraphic units with dinosaur body fossils
References