A Diverse Microfossil Assemblage from the Ediacaran–Cambrian Deep-Water Chert of the Liuchapo Formation in Guizhou Province,South China

The Ediacaran to Cambrian transition witnessed great biological and environmental turnovers from the Precambrian to Phanerozoic.These changes are also reflected by the fossil records during that time.However,the fossil distribution was highly heterogenous.While diverse fossils were constantly found from the shallow shelf including restricted basins,reports from deep-water areas,which are characterized by chert-dominated formations straddling the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary,were scarce.Among them was the Liuchapo Formation that has been considered barren.In this study,a fossiliferous assemblage was found from the Liuchapo Formation in east Guizhou Province,South China.This assemblage comprises Palaeopascichnus jiumenensis,Horodyskia minor,multicellular algae that possibly related with red algae,cyanobacteria,sponge spicules,small shelly fossils,membrane structures of uncertain affinity,and fossils with structures resemble the Ediacaran Megasphaera.Palaeopascichnus and Horodyskia have been widely reported and abundant in the Liuchapo Formation and equivalents,while the others have seldomly,or never,been found from this formation or,more widely,the deep-water chert of transitional interval.The discovery not only contributes to the rare paleontological records preserved in deep-water sediments,but also expanded the geographic distribution of the fossils,providing new materials of biological diversity during this critical interval.

New Insight into Factors Controlling Organic Matter Distribution in Lower Cambrian Source Rocks: A Study from the Qiongzhusi Formation in South China

Sedimentary organic matter(OM) is a major reservoir of organic carbon in the global carbon cycle. Despite many studies, there still exist many debates on the mechanism of OM accumulation and preservation in marine sediments. We present a new field study of a Lower Cambrian shallow marine shelf sequence in the northern edge of the Yangtze Plate, China. Our results show that palynological OM and biogenic silica(Bio-Si) could be used alongside more conventional redox and paleo-productivity proxies to study the distribution of OM in marine sediments. The qualitative and quantitative study of palynological OM provides more detailed information on the nature of sedimentary organic carbon, which can be helpful in the assessment of primary productivity and OM preservation. In addition, the presence of Bio-Si stimulates the physical preservation of OM. Further analysis indicates that an increase in Bio-Si can promote OM preservation. This case-study provides insight into the intertwined factors controlling OM accumulation in the Early Cambrian.

Microfossil Assemblages and Indication of the Source and Preservation Pattern of Organic Matter from the Early Cambrian in South China

The beginning of the Phanerozoic was marked by abundant phytoplankton,the occurrence of animals and a newly established ecosystem structure,which in turn,resulted in different modes of organic matter(OM)cycling and preservation.In this study,we present an integrated paleontological and geochemical study of the Lower Cambrian Yanjiahe and Shuijingtuo formations in the Three Gorges area,South China.Rock samples were analyzed for major and trace elements,in order to evaluate the marine productivity.Fossil samples were recovered using palynological methods,destructive analytical techniques,SEM analysis and thin section microscopy.The organic-walled microfossils in the investigated sections include marine microphytoplankton,linings of sponge spicules,small shelly fossils and some unnamed sheet-like and net-like microfossils(animal parts).Additionally,fecal structures and coprolites fossils were found.Three intervals in the Luojiacun Section were proposed to discuss the links among microfossil assemblages and their influence on OM cycling and preservation.We found that the marine microphytoplankton was the main source of OM in the investigated sections.The appearance of fecal structures groups and massive appearance of animals in the pelagic zone indicate a higher transfer efficiency of OM aggregates through the water column.Oxygenated conditions in the water-column would have led to a moderate to low preservation of OM,an effect which would have been further enhanced by the potential presence of bioturbators.Overall,our study reveals the contribution of various organisms to the sedimentary OM and highlights the links and feedbacks among microfossil assemblages,OM recycling efficiency and OM preservation in the tipping point of the Phanerozoic“new world”.