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Chitarwata Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Oligocene (Tabenbulakian)-Early Miocene ~28–17 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Bugti Member
Overlies	Vihowa Formation
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Claystone
Location
Coordinates	29°00′N 69°00′E / 29.0°N 69.0°E / 29.0; 69.0
Approximate paleocoordinates	19°24′N 67°42′E / 19.4°N 67.7°E / 19.4; 67.7
Region	Balochistan
Country	Pakistan
Type section
Named for	Chitarwata
Chitarwata Formation (Pakistan)

The Chitarwata Formation is a geological formation in western Pakistan, made up of Oligocene and early Miocene terrestrial fluvial facies. The sediments were deposited in coastal depositional environments (estuarine, strandplain and tidal flats) when Pakistan was partly covered by the Tethys Ocean.

Paleomagnetic data indicates an age range of around 28 to 17 million years ago, with its base in the Oligocene, and its upper boundary, where it meets the overlying Vihowa Formation, of the Early Miocene.

Together with the Vihowa Formation, the Chitarwata Formation records the sedimentation of the Himalayan foreland basin during the collision of the Indian and Asian tectonic plates, the transition from marginal marine to fluvial environments, and the rise of the Himalayas.

Fossil content

The Chitarwata Formation has provided a wealth of terrestrial mammal fossils of the late Paleogene and early Neogene, or Tabenbulakian; the last of the Asian land mammal ages (ALMA).

Among many others, the following fossils are reported from the formation:

Mammals

Artiodactyl

Anthracothere

Entelodonts

Giraffid

lophiomerycids

Ruminants

Perissodactyl

Paraceratheriidae

Rhinocerotidae

Marsupials

Rodents

Primates

Proboscidean

Reptiles

Fish

References

1. Chitarwata Formation at Fossilworks.org

Further reading

• S. Adnet, P. -O. Antoine, S. R. Hassan Baqri, J. Crochet, L. Marivaux, J. Welcomme, and G. Métais. 2007. New tropical carcharhinids (chondrichthyes, Carcharhiniformes) from the late Eocene–early Oligocene of Balochistan, Pakistan: Paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic implications. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 30(2):303-323
• G. Métais, P.-O. Antoine, S. R. H. Baqri, M. Benammi, J.-Y. Crochet, D. Franceschi, L. Marivaux and J.-L. Welcomme. 2006. New remains of the enigmatic cetartiodactyl Bugtitherium grandincisivum Pilgrim, 1908, from the upper Oligocene of the Bugti Hills (Balochistan, Pakistan). Naturwissenschaften 93(7):348-355
• E. H. Lindsay, L. J. Flynn, I. U. Cheema, J. C. Barry, K. Downing, A. R. Rajpar, and S. M. Raza. 2005. Will Downs and the Zinda Pir Dome. Palaeontologia Electronica 8(1):19A:1-18
• L. Marivaux, P.-O. Antoine, S. R. H. Baqri, M. Benammi, and Y. Chaimanee. 2005. Anthropoid primates from the Oligocene of Pakistan (Bugti Hills): Data on early anthropoid evolution and biogeography. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102(24):8436-8441
• P.-O. Antoine, J.-L. Welcomme, L. Marivaux, I. Baloch, M. Benammi and P. Tassy. 2003. First record of Paleogene Elephantoidea (Mammalia, Proboscidea) from the Bugti Hills of Pakistan. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 23(4):977-980
• J.-L. Welcomme and L. Ginsburg. 1997. Mise en évidence de l'Oligocène sur le territoire des Bugti (Balouchistan, Pakistan). Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série IIA 325(12):999-1004
• L.J. Flynn, L.L. Jacobs, and I.U. Cheema. 1986. Baluchimyinae, A New Ctenodactyloid Rodent Subfamily from the Miocene of Baluchistan. American Museum Novitates 2841:1-58

External links

• Palaeontologia Electronica

v t e Protected areas of Pakistan
National parks	Ayub Ayubia Broghil Valley Central Karakoram Chinji Chitral Gol Deosai Deva Vatala Fairy Meadows Gumot Hazarganji-Chiltan Hingol Kala Chitta Kamal Ban Khunjerab Kirthar Lal Suhanra Lulusar-Dodipat Machiara Malakandi Margalla Hills Nizampur Panjal Mastan Saiful Muluk Shandur Sheikh Badin Tolipir Manglot
Wildlife sanctuaries	Astore Bajwat Baltistan Chashma Lake Cholistan Chumbi Surla Deh Akro Hub Dam Lehri Nature Park Naltar Nara Desert Rann of Kutch Ras Koh Taunsa Barrage Ziarat Juniper
Wetlands of Pakistan	Astola Island Chashma Barrage Chinna Creek Deh Akro Drigh Lake Rann of Kutch Haleji Lake Hawke's Bay Beach Hingol River Hub Dam Indus River Delta Jiwani Coastal Wetland Jubho Lagoon Keti Bandar Khanpur Dam Keenjhar Lake Miani Hor Ormara Turtle Beaches Rasul Barrage Rawal lake Sandspit Beach Tanda Dam Taunsa Barrage Thanedar Wala Uchhali Complex
Natural monuments	Bazar Caves Chandragup Chitarwata Formation Hingol Mud Volcano Kashmir Smast Paradise Point
Forests	Ziarat Juniper Forest Changa Manga Forest Chichawatni Plantation Lashari wala Forest
Biosphere reserves	Lal Suhanra Ziarat Juniper Forest

• Geologic formations of Pakistan
• Neogene System of Asia
• Paleogene System of Asia
• Rupelian Stage
• Chattian Stage
• Aquitanian (stage)
• Burdigalian
• Sandstone formations
• Shale formations
• Fluvial deposits
• Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of Asia
• Paleontology in Pakistan
• Geography of Balochistan, Pakistan