PBDB Taxon

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Placoolithus tumiaolingensis

Osteichthyes - Dendroolithidae

Taxonomy

Dendroolithus tumiaolingensis was named by Zhou et al. (1998). It is considered to be a form taxon. Its type specimen is HYH 111, an egg, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Tumiaoling Dinosaur Egg Fossil Locality, Site No. 1, which is in a Coniacian terrestrial siltstone in the Gaogou Formation of China.

It was recombined as Placoolithus tumiaolingensis by Zhang et al. (2018), Chen et al. (2025).

Synonyms

Dendroolithus hongzhaiziensis was named by Zhou et al. (1998). It is considered to be a form taxon. It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Hongzhaizi Hill [PROXY], which is in a Coniacian terrestrial horizon in the Gaogou Formation of China.

It was synonymized subjectively with Placoolithus tumiaolingensis by Zhang et al. (2018).
Paradendroolithus qinglongshanensis was named by Zhou et al. (1998). It is considered to be a form taxon. Its type specimen is HYQB 811–813, an egg, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Qinglongshan Hill, which is in a Coniacian terrestrial horizon in the Gaogou Formation of China.

It was synonymized subjectively with Placoolithus tumiaolingensis by Zhang et al. (2018).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1998	Dendroolithus hongzhaiziensis Zhou et al.
1998	Dendroolithus tumiaolingensis Zhou et al.
1998	Paradendroolithus qinglongshanensis Zhou et al.
2018	Placoolithus tumiaolingensis Zhang et al. p. 673
2025	Placoolithus tumiaolingensis Chen et al.

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
class	Osteichthyes
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()

Rank	Name	Author
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
informal	Avemetatarsalia
—	Ornithodira
—	Dinosauromorpha
—	Dinosauriformes
—	Dinosauria	()
—	Saurischia	()
—	Theropoda	()
—	Neotheropoda
—	Averostra	Paul 2002
—	Tetanurae
—	Coelurosauria	()
—	Maniraptoriformes
—	Therizinosauria	Russell 1997
superfamily	Therizinosauroidea
family	Dendroolithidae
genus	Placoolithus
species	tumiaolingensis	(Zhou et al. 1998)

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Placoolithus tumiaolingensis Zhou et al. 1998

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Invalid names: Dendroolithus hongzhaiziensis Zhou et al. 1998 [synonym], Paradendroolithus qinglongshanensis Zhou et al. 1998 [synonym]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
S. Zhang et al. 2018	The newly emended oospecies Placoolithus tumiaolingensis is featured by a shape index (egg width/length × 100%) of 80.03–99.28% (Table 1). The compact layer measures 1/10–1/4 of the eggshell. Moreover, the eggshell unit is slender and symmetrical, or rarely asymmetrical, divided into two branches in the middle part of the eggshell. The diameter of eggshell unit ranges from 0.05 to 0.25 mm and measures an average of 0.15 mm in tangential sections through the middle part of the eggshell. The density of eggshell units is 29–74 per mm2 (Table 1).

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

hydroxyapatiteo

Entire body:

yeso

Adult length:

10 to < 100o

Adult width:

1.0 to < 10o

Adult height:

1.0 to < 10o

Architecture:

compact or denseo

Ontogeny:

accretion, modification of partso

Grouping:

solitaryo

Environment:

terrestrialsuperf

Locomotion:

actively mobileo

Life habit:

ground dwellingsuperf

Diet:

herbivoresuperf

Reproduction:

oviparoussuperf

Dispersal:

direct/internalo

Dispersal 2:

mobileo

Created:

2005-09-11 17:03:44

Modified:

2005-09-11 19:03:44

Source: superf = superfamily, o = order

References: Holtz et al. 2000, Marsh 1875, Kiessling 2004

Age range: Late/Upper Coniacian or 89.80000 to 85.70000 Ma

Collections (3 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Coniacian	89.8 - 85.7	China (Hubei)	Dendroolithus hongzhaiziensis (275538) Dendroolithus tumiaolingensis (275536) Paradendroolithus qinglongshanensis (275537)