The Guanshan Fauna, a soft-bodied fauna intermediate between the Chengjiang Fauna and the Kaili Fauna and also the Burgess Shale Fauna stratigraphically, consists of trilobites, trilobitoides, Tuzoia, Vetulicola, Pale...The Guanshan Fauna, a soft-bodied fauna intermediate between the Chengjiang Fauna and the Kaili Fauna and also the Burgess Shale Fauna stratigraphically, consists of trilobites, trilobitoides, Tuzoia, Vetulicola, Paleoscolex, brachiopods and sponges. The discovery and research of this fauna is of great significance in understading the 'Cambrian Explosion' and the evolution of early life. The occurrence of vetulicoliids from the Guanshan Fauna not only adds new members to the taxonomic list, but also provides new information to the evolution of this animal group. This paper describe Vetulicola gantoucunensis Luo, Fu et Hu sp. nov. from the Lower Cambrian Wulongqing Formation in the Kunming area. Also presented are the amended description of Vetulicola and the comparisons with related genera within Vetulicoliids. The affinity, distribution, as well as evolution of vetulicoliids are discussed.展开更多
Exceptionally preserved fossils,such as those from Cambrian Burgess Shale-type fossil-Lagerstatten are critical because of their unique contributions to knowledge of the phylogenetic radiation and palaeoecological exp...Exceptionally preserved fossils,such as those from Cambrian Burgess Shale-type fossil-Lagerstatten are critical because of their unique contributions to knowledge of the phylogenetic radiation and palaeoecological expansion of metazoans during the Cambrian explosion.Critically,these deposits provide information that is usually unobtainable from shelly and skeletonized fossils alone.The Guanshan Biota(Cambrian Series 2,Stage 4)in the Yunnan Province of South China,has produced abundant and diverse,exquisitely preserved fossils that often retain soft tissues and organs.To date,most fossils from the Guanshan Biota have been collected from localities such as Gaoloufang and Gangtoucun,which have become inaccessible due to new urban expansions and constructions of residential buildings.Here we present the first report of soft bodied fossils from a new section at Kanfuqing,close to the Wulongqing village in Malong County,approximately 3 km east of the Wulongqing Formation stratotype section.Fossils retain soft morphology,and include brachiopods with delicate marginal setae,priapulids with well-preserved sclerites and vetulicolians with entire sections of body.In addition,this fauna includes rare occurrences of trilobites preserved with soft tissues replicated as pyrite pseudomorphs after weathering.This discovery represents an important palaeogeographical extension of soft-bodied fossils of the Guanshan fauna to the east of the Xiaojiang Fault(related to Tsinning tectonic movements ca.700 Ma).The fauna from the new Kanfuqing section is similar to that reported from the Wulongqing Formation west of the Xiaojiang Fault,and thus has significant implications for early Cambrian palaeogeography,faunal successions and palaeoenvironments of eastern Yunnan.展开更多
The Guanshan Fauna is a soft-bodied fauna dominated by arthropods （including trilobites, trilobitoides, Tuzoia, Isoxys, and bradorids） in association with priapulids, brachiopods, anomalocaridids, vetulicoliids, spo...The Guanshan Fauna is a soft-bodied fauna dominated by arthropods （including trilobites, trilobitoides, Tuzoia, Isoxys, and bradorids） in association with priapulids, brachiopods, anomalocaridids, vetulicoliids, sponges, chancellorids, and echinoderms. This paper reports and describes a new arthropod from the yellowish green mudstone at the lower part of the Wulongqing Formation, Canglangpuan Stage, Lower Cambrian in Kunming, Yunnan, China. The stratigraphic and geographic distribution, classification, fossil preservation, life style of this new arthropod and comparisons with other fossil arthropods are also discussed in details. The discovery and research of the non-mineralized arthropod, Guangweicaris Luo, Fu et Hu gen. nov. from the Guanshan Fauna adds new members to the taxonomic list and provides new information to the evolution of early arthropods. Furthermore, this study would shed new light into the ＂Cambrian Explosion＂ and the evolution of early life.展开更多
The Guanshan Biota from the Cambrian Stage 4 Wulongqing Formation is a typical Burgess-shale type Lagerst？tte that had witnessed the Cambrian explosion. Here we report two new localities of the Guanshan Biota, which ...The Guanshan Biota from the Cambrian Stage 4 Wulongqing Formation is a typical Burgess-shale type Lagerst？tte that had witnessed the Cambrian explosion. Here we report two new localities of the Guanshan Biota, which is located at Baimei village, south of Kunming and Xinglong village, Wuding County, Yunnan Province respectively. Both localities produce soft-body fossils and several new taxa, e.g. a new species of palaeoscolecidans （Palaeoscolex xinglongensis sp. nov.） reported herein. The comparative study of the new species with similar form not only indicates that there is a diversification of palaeoscolecid species in Guanshan Biota, but also strengthens the ties between the older Chengjiang Biota and the younger Kaili Biota （and also the coeval Burgess Shale community）. Three paleoecological features, including high diversity, little disparity and richness of palaeoscolecid worms, are summarized as a case study to represent the differences between Guanshan and Chengjiang Biota.展开更多
The Guanshan biota from eastern Yunnan(Cambrian Series 2,early Stage 4) is a Burgess Shale-type fossil biota with abundant exceptionally preserved soft-bodied fossils after the discovery of the well-known Cambrian Che...The Guanshan biota from eastern Yunnan(Cambrian Series 2,early Stage 4) is a Burgess Shale-type fossil biota with abundant exceptionally preserved soft-bodied fossils after the discovery of the well-known Cambrian Chengjiang fauna and Kaili biota in South China.The geological settings,sedimentology,taphonomy,and the fossil assemblage of the Guanshan biota are briefly summarized here.The Guanshan biota consists of about 60 taxa belonging to more than 10 metazoan groups and algae,among which the lobopods,eldonids,hyolithids with helens,and green algae are reported for the first time.The common occurrence of soft-bodied preservation in many groups,notably the trilobites and brachiopods,makes the Guanshan biota a significant fossil lagersttte for understanding the metazoan evolution during Cambrian explosion and taphonomy of the Burgess Shale-type fossils.展开更多
Cambrian vetulicolians are enigmatic metazoans which play an important role in understanding the early animal evolution. Vetulicola longbaoshanensis Yang et al., 2010 is a unique species reported from the Guanshan Bio...Cambrian vetulicolians are enigmatic metazoans which play an important role in understanding the early animal evolution. Vetulicola longbaoshanensis Yang et al., 2010 is a unique species reported from the Guanshan Biota, Cambrian Series2, Stage 4 at eastern Yunnan, South China, which expands our understanding of vetulicolians. Here, new exceptionally preserved materials of V. longbaoshanensis from the Lower Cambrian Wulongqing Formation(which yields the so-called Guanshan Biota)in both Wuding and Kunming areas are described, in which the gill structures of V. longbaoshanensis are well preserved. The gill structures of our fossils are more complicated than those in the type species: the gill sac is gourd-shaped and can be divided into a smaller anterior part and a larger posterior part, prominent gill silt and dense gill filaments present in the joint of the two parts. Comparative analyses indicate that vetulicolians from the Guanshan Biota are similar to the Vetulicola rectangulata Luo et Hu, 1999 from the Chengjiang Biota in gross morphology. However, compared with the V. rectangulata, the Guanshan forms possess a larger body size, a higher length/height ratio of anterior body, and a higher ratio of gill sac width to anterior body height, probably typifying the derive characters anticipated of vetulicolians. These new materials, therefore, shed new light on our understanding of vetulicolians morphology and the early evolution of the gill structures.展开更多
This is a brief report of a new occurrence of eocrinoids from the Early Cambrian Wulongqing Formation in Yunnan, China. The eocrinoids from the Guanshan fauna are among the earliest known eocrinoids. Different from ma...This is a brief report of a new occurrence of eocrinoids from the Early Cambrian Wulongqing Formation in Yunnan, China. The eocrinoids from the Guanshan fauna are among the earliest known eocrinoids. Different from many other Early and Middle Cambrian eocrinoids, the Guanshan eocrinoids are char-acterized by the absence of sutural pores and epispires, the long and spiral brachioles, the extremely long stalk, and the ratio of the length of the stalk versus that of the calyx. The discovery of the eocri-noids from the Guanshan fauna not only provides new information to the investigation of the early evolution of this animal group, but also shed new light on the occurrence and migration of early eocrinoids.展开更多
Anomalocaridids were large predators of the Cambrian seas at the top of the trophic pyramid.Complete anomalocaridid specimens have been rarely discovered and the rigid isolated frontal appendages and mouthparts are mo...Anomalocaridids were large predators of the Cambrian seas at the top of the trophic pyramid.Complete anomalocaridid specimens have been rarely discovered and the rigid isolated frontal appendages and mouthparts are more commonly preserved.Here we study new material of the frontal appendages from the Wulongqing Formation,Cambrian Stage 4,Series 2 near Kunming,eastern Yunnan.Two new forms of anomalocaridid frontal appendages are described,namely Anomalocaris kunmingensis sp.nov.and Paranomalocaris multisegmentalis gen.nov.,sp.nov.The frontal appendage of A.kunmingensis sp.nov.probably comprises15 podomeres of which the first one has a weakened skeletoned,the second one is armed with small spines,and the third one is armed with remarkably robust proximal ventral spines with 6 anisomerous auxiliary spines;paired auxiliary spines are associated with podomeres 4–14;podomeres 12–14 are armed with paired dorsal spines,and the last podomere bears 2 distal spines,one spine distinctly larger than the other.The frontal appendage of P.multisegmentalis tapered backwards,consisting of 22 visible podomeres;the most ventral spine is armed with 5 pairs of auxiliary spines,and podomeres 12–21 bear dorsal spines,the last podomere with 2 small distal spines.The new material provides additional evidence for our understanding of the diversity of anomalocaridids in the Cambrian.The morphology of these new finds may indicate the importance of different feeding strategies of anomalocaridids in the Cambrian ecosystem.展开更多
基金the joint project between the Yunnan Institute of Geological Sciences the Shenzhen Palaeontological Museum the Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province(2002D0033Q).
文摘The Guanshan Fauna, a soft-bodied fauna intermediate between the Chengjiang Fauna and the Kaili Fauna and also the Burgess Shale Fauna stratigraphically, consists of trilobites, trilobitoides, Tuzoia, Vetulicola, Paleoscolex, brachiopods and sponges. The discovery and research of this fauna is of great significance in understading the 'Cambrian Explosion' and the evolution of early life. The occurrence of vetulicoliids from the Guanshan Fauna not only adds new members to the taxonomic list, but also provides new information to the evolution of this animal group. This paper describe Vetulicola gantoucunensis Luo, Fu et Hu sp. nov. from the Lower Cambrian Wulongqing Formation in the Kunming area. Also presented are the amended description of Vetulicola and the comparisons with related genera within Vetulicoliids. The affinity, distribution, as well as evolution of vetulicoliids are discussed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41425008,41890844,41720104002,41621003 and 41772002)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB26000000)+1 种基金the Overseas Expertise Introduction Centre for Discipline Innovation(111 project:D17013)the Postgraduate Creation Program of Northwest University(YZZ15001)
文摘Exceptionally preserved fossils,such as those from Cambrian Burgess Shale-type fossil-Lagerstatten are critical because of their unique contributions to knowledge of the phylogenetic radiation and palaeoecological expansion of metazoans during the Cambrian explosion.Critically,these deposits provide information that is usually unobtainable from shelly and skeletonized fossils alone.The Guanshan Biota(Cambrian Series 2,Stage 4)in the Yunnan Province of South China,has produced abundant and diverse,exquisitely preserved fossils that often retain soft tissues and organs.To date,most fossils from the Guanshan Biota have been collected from localities such as Gaoloufang and Gangtoucun,which have become inaccessible due to new urban expansions and constructions of residential buildings.Here we present the first report of soft bodied fossils from a new section at Kanfuqing,close to the Wulongqing village in Malong County,approximately 3 km east of the Wulongqing Formation stratotype section.Fossils retain soft morphology,and include brachiopods with delicate marginal setae,priapulids with well-preserved sclerites and vetulicolians with entire sections of body.In addition,this fauna includes rare occurrences of trilobites preserved with soft tissues replicated as pyrite pseudomorphs after weathering.This discovery represents an important palaeogeographical extension of soft-bodied fossils of the Guanshan fauna to the east of the Xiaojiang Fault(related to Tsinning tectonic movements ca.700 Ma).The fauna from the new Kanfuqing section is similar to that reported from the Wulongqing Formation west of the Xiaojiang Fault,and thus has significant implications for early Cambrian palaeogeography,faunal successions and palaeoenvironments of eastern Yunnan.
基金This study was supported by the Major Basic Research Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China （No. 2002CCA03300） the National Natural Science Foundation of China （No. 40672004）+1 种基金 the National ＂973＂ Project （No. 2006CB806401）the jointproject between the Yunnan Institute of Geological Science and the Shenzhen Palaeontological Museum （No. YIGS- 2006-01）.
文摘The Guanshan Fauna is a soft-bodied fauna dominated by arthropods （including trilobites, trilobitoides, Tuzoia, Isoxys, and bradorids） in association with priapulids, brachiopods, anomalocaridids, vetulicoliids, sponges, chancellorids, and echinoderms. This paper reports and describes a new arthropod from the yellowish green mudstone at the lower part of the Wulongqing Formation, Canglangpuan Stage, Lower Cambrian in Kunming, Yunnan, China. The stratigraphic and geographic distribution, classification, fossil preservation, life style of this new arthropod and comparisons with other fossil arthropods are also discussed in details. The discovery and research of the non-mineralized arthropod, Guangweicaris Luo, Fu et Hu gen. nov. from the Guanshan Fauna adds new members to the taxonomic list and provides new information to the evolution of early arthropods. Furthermore, this study would shed new light into the ＂Cambrian Explosion＂ and the evolution of early life.
基金financially supported by the 973 Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant 2013CB837100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant 41222014,41172023,41621003,41102012)+4 种基金the National Program for Support of Top-notch Young Professionalsfinancial support from the Ministry of Education of China for Changjiang Scholarthe Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities(P201102007,W20136100061)Shaanxi Bureau of Science and Technology(FJ11366)Young Talents of Northwest University
文摘The Guanshan Biota from the Cambrian Stage 4 Wulongqing Formation is a typical Burgess-shale type Lagerst？tte that had witnessed the Cambrian explosion. Here we report two new localities of the Guanshan Biota, which is located at Baimei village, south of Kunming and Xinglong village, Wuding County, Yunnan Province respectively. Both localities produce soft-body fossils and several new taxa, e.g. a new species of palaeoscolecidans （Palaeoscolex xinglongensis sp. nov.） reported herein. The comparative study of the new species with similar form not only indicates that there is a diversification of palaeoscolecid species in Guanshan Biota, but also strengthens the ties between the older Chengjiang Biota and the younger Kaili Biota （and also the coeval Burgess Shale community）. Three paleoecological features, including high diversity, little disparity and richness of palaeoscolecid worms, are summarized as a case study to represent the differences between Guanshan and Chengjiang Biota.
基金supported by National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB806401)National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40772020,40725005,40930211)
文摘The Guanshan biota from eastern Yunnan(Cambrian Series 2,early Stage 4) is a Burgess Shale-type fossil biota with abundant exceptionally preserved soft-bodied fossils after the discovery of the well-known Cambrian Chengjiang fauna and Kaili biota in South China.The geological settings,sedimentology,taphonomy,and the fossil assemblage of the Guanshan biota are briefly summarized here.The Guanshan biota consists of about 60 taxa belonging to more than 10 metazoan groups and algae,among which the lobopods,eldonids,hyolithids with helens,and green algae are reported for the first time.The common occurrence of soft-bodied preservation in many groups,notably the trilobites and brachiopods,makes the Guanshan biota a significant fossil lagersttte for understanding the metazoan evolution during Cambrian explosion and taphonomy of the Burgess Shale-type fossils.
基金supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2013CB837100)the National Program for Support of Top-notch Young Professionals,the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41222014,41172023,41621003,41102012&41572017)+1 种基金the 111 Project,the Ministry of Education of China for Changjiang Scholarsthe Program for NewCentury Excellent Talents in University(Grant No.53900264086)
文摘Cambrian vetulicolians are enigmatic metazoans which play an important role in understanding the early animal evolution. Vetulicola longbaoshanensis Yang et al., 2010 is a unique species reported from the Guanshan Biota, Cambrian Series2, Stage 4 at eastern Yunnan, South China, which expands our understanding of vetulicolians. Here, new exceptionally preserved materials of V. longbaoshanensis from the Lower Cambrian Wulongqing Formation(which yields the so-called Guanshan Biota)in both Wuding and Kunming areas are described, in which the gill structures of V. longbaoshanensis are well preserved. The gill structures of our fossils are more complicated than those in the type species: the gill sac is gourd-shaped and can be divided into a smaller anterior part and a larger posterior part, prominent gill silt and dense gill filaments present in the joint of the two parts. Comparative analyses indicate that vetulicolians from the Guanshan Biota are similar to the Vetulicola rectangulata Luo et Hu, 1999 from the Chengjiang Biota in gross morphology. However, compared with the V. rectangulata, the Guanshan forms possess a larger body size, a higher length/height ratio of anterior body, and a higher ratio of gill sac width to anterior body height, probably typifying the derive characters anticipated of vetulicolians. These new materials, therefore, shed new light on our understanding of vetulicolians morphology and the early evolution of the gill structures.
基金Supported by the Major Basic Research Project of Ministry of Science and Technol-ogy of China (Grant No. 2002CCA03300)the State Key Laboratory of Palaeo-biology and Stratigraphy (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS) (Grant No. 053110)
文摘This is a brief report of a new occurrence of eocrinoids from the Early Cambrian Wulongqing Formation in Yunnan, China. The eocrinoids from the Guanshan fauna are among the earliest known eocrinoids. Different from many other Early and Middle Cambrian eocrinoids, the Guanshan eocrinoids are char-acterized by the absence of sutural pores and epispires, the long and spiral brachioles, the extremely long stalk, and the ratio of the length of the stalk versus that of the calyx. The discovery of the eocri-noids from the Guanshan fauna not only provides new information to the investigation of the early evolution of this animal group, but also shed new light on the occurrence and migration of early eocrinoids.
基金supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZZD-EW-02)the National Basic Research Program of China (2013CB835000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41222013, 40872010, 400772020 and J1210006)
文摘Anomalocaridids were large predators of the Cambrian seas at the top of the trophic pyramid.Complete anomalocaridid specimens have been rarely discovered and the rigid isolated frontal appendages and mouthparts are more commonly preserved.Here we study new material of the frontal appendages from the Wulongqing Formation,Cambrian Stage 4,Series 2 near Kunming,eastern Yunnan.Two new forms of anomalocaridid frontal appendages are described,namely Anomalocaris kunmingensis sp.nov.and Paranomalocaris multisegmentalis gen.nov.,sp.nov.The frontal appendage of A.kunmingensis sp.nov.probably comprises15 podomeres of which the first one has a weakened skeletoned,the second one is armed with small spines,and the third one is armed with remarkably robust proximal ventral spines with 6 anisomerous auxiliary spines;paired auxiliary spines are associated with podomeres 4–14;podomeres 12–14 are armed with paired dorsal spines,and the last podomere bears 2 distal spines,one spine distinctly larger than the other.The frontal appendage of P.multisegmentalis tapered backwards,consisting of 22 visible podomeres;the most ventral spine is armed with 5 pairs of auxiliary spines,and podomeres 12–21 bear dorsal spines,the last podomere with 2 small distal spines.The new material provides additional evidence for our understanding of the diversity of anomalocaridids in the Cambrian.The morphology of these new finds may indicate the importance of different feeding strategies of anomalocaridids in the Cambrian ecosystem.
