New Stratigraphic Data from the Erlian Basin: Implications for the Division, Correlation, and Definition of Paleogene Lithological Units In Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia)

Newly measured stratigraphic sections are reported for Paleogene rocks in the Nuhetingboerhe-Huheboerhe (Camp Margetts) area of Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), China. The composite sequence in this region is 82.4 m thick, encompassing three lithological units separated by important depositional hiatuses. In stratigraphic order, these rock units correspond to the Nomogen, Arshanto and Irdin Manha formations. The sequence contains faunas from four Asian land-mammal “ages”, the Gashatan, Bumbanian, Arshantan, and Irdinmanhan, which together span the interval from late in the Late Paleocene to early in the Middle Eocene. Comparisons with localities and sections documented since the time of the Central Asiatic Expeditions (CAE) show that the so-called Houldjin gravels of the CAE from this area are mostly Irdin Manha Formation and that the “Irdin Manha beds” of the CAE belong to the Arshanto and/or Nomogen formations. These findings reveal that previous concepts of the Irdin Manha and Arshanto faunas from the Camp Margetts area probably include fossils of different ages, so that the corresponding Asian land-mammal “ages” based on these faunas are problematic and need systematic revision. The Nomogen, Arshanto, and Irdin Manha formations are redefined.