Chinese Jurassic Vertebrates

I am involved in a research project studying the paleobiogeography and paleoecology of Jurassic terrestrial vertebrates in the Junggar-Basin and the Turpan Basin (NW China). This work is carried out in cooperation with H. U. Pfretzschner, University of Tübingen/Germany, T. Martin, University of Bonn/Germany, and Sun Ge, Jilin University (Changchun, China).

Jurassic vertebrates in Central Asia are often considered to have been endemic. While small vertebrates from the Turpan and the Junggar Basins are somewhat similar to faunas found in Fergana/Kyrgyzstan, the dinosaur faunas are rather different. Furthermore, there are fauna differences not only between different basins, but also between the more lacustrine Jurassic Qigu-Formation at the margin of the Junggar basin and the more terrestrial Jurassic Shishugou-Formation in the center of the Junggar basin. The goal of my research is a better understanding of the vertebrate fauna in Central Asia during the Middle and Late Jurassic.