Citation: | Asma Tahir, Huazhou Yao, Junaid Khan, Yangui Li, He Zhao, Yue Yu, Tang Yuan. First Record of Middle Eocene Elephant Ancestors' Footprints in the Gonjo Basin, East Tibet Plateau. Journal of Earth Science, 2024, 35(4): 1224-1235. doi: 10.1007/s12583-023-1946-6 |
It is the first time that the fossil footprints of a group of Middle Eocene elephant ancestors have been discovered in the Gonjo Basin, East Tibet Plateau. The Gonjo Formation is attributed to the Middle Eocene Epoch (U-Pb age = 44.7 ± 1.2 Ma) and consists mainly of purplish-red, medium- to coarse-grained sandstones, siltstones interbedded with mudstones, and conglomerates with sedimentary structures like ripple marks, rip-up clasts, and trough-cross bedding, suggesting fluvial-lacustrine systems. The group of fossil footprints has a characteristic oval-concave shape, and the toe impressions are absent. Some fossil footprints are overstepped with a pockmarked texture resembling
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