Enigmatic ribbon-like fossil from Early Cambrian of Yunnan, China
During the Late Neoproterozoic and Early Cambrian, a series of paleogeographic and paleoecological events occurred associated with deglaciations and the evolution of life. The appearance of fossils representing diverse phyla, novel body plans and complex ecologies in Ediacaran and Cambrian sedimenta...
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| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2021-06-01
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| Series: | China Geology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2096519221000525 |
| _version_ | 1811170464278511616 |
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| author | Feng Tang Si-cun Song Guang-xu Zhang Ai-lin Chen Jun-ping Liu |
| author_facet | Feng Tang Si-cun Song Guang-xu Zhang Ai-lin Chen Jun-ping Liu |
| author_sort | Feng Tang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the Late Neoproterozoic and Early Cambrian, a series of paleogeographic and paleoecological events occurred associated with deglaciations and the evolution of life. The appearance of fossils representing diverse phyla, novel body plans and complex ecologies in Ediacaran and Cambrian sedimentary successions has sparked diverse hypotheses about potential drivers for the radiation of early animals during this interval. Recently, new macroscopic fossils of carbonaceous compressions with unique features have been found in Anning, Yunnan, China. The fossils’ bodies are ribbon-shaped and bilaterally symmetric, with dense longitudinal features and transversal features. The fossils occur 0.68 m below a bentonite interlayer which has been dated 535.2 ± 1.7 Ma by Ri-xiang Zhu and his team in 2009. The relatively simply morphology of these fossils, coupled with a lack of preserved internal structures challenge efforts taxonomically identify the precursor organism and definitively ally it to a living group. However, the symmetry and unusual features of the body are analogous to members of Platyzoa. The presence of ribbon-shaped fossils in the Zhongyicun Member in Anning indicates that these organisms were at least a locally significant component of Cambrian seafloor ecosystems, and may hold important implications for our understanding of the early evolution of Bilateria. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:57:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b931b3e7ea04279b2f61b9b9d36ad01 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2096-5192 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:57:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | China Geology |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b931b3e7ea04279b2f61b9b9d36ad012023-02-07T04:22:31ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.China Geology2096-51922021-06-0142205214Enigmatic ribbon-like fossil from Early Cambrian of Yunnan, ChinaFeng Tang0Si-cun Song1Guang-xu Zhang2Ai-lin Chen3Jun-ping Liu4Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China; Corresponding author: E-mail address: tangfeng65@qq.com (Feng Tang); sicun.song.sicun.song19@ucl.ac.uk (Si-cun Song).Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China; Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London WC1E6BT, United Kingdom; Corresponding author: E-mail address: tangfeng65@qq.com (Feng Tang); sicun.song.sicun.song19@ucl.ac.uk (Si-cun Song).Yunnan Key Laboratory For Palaeobiology, Kunming 650091, ChinaResearch Center of Paleobiology, Yuxi Normal University, Yuxi 653100, ChinaYunnan Institute of Geological Survey, Kunming 650216, ChinaDuring the Late Neoproterozoic and Early Cambrian, a series of paleogeographic and paleoecological events occurred associated with deglaciations and the evolution of life. The appearance of fossils representing diverse phyla, novel body plans and complex ecologies in Ediacaran and Cambrian sedimentary successions has sparked diverse hypotheses about potential drivers for the radiation of early animals during this interval. Recently, new macroscopic fossils of carbonaceous compressions with unique features have been found in Anning, Yunnan, China. The fossils’ bodies are ribbon-shaped and bilaterally symmetric, with dense longitudinal features and transversal features. The fossils occur 0.68 m below a bentonite interlayer which has been dated 535.2 ± 1.7 Ma by Ri-xiang Zhu and his team in 2009. The relatively simply morphology of these fossils, coupled with a lack of preserved internal structures challenge efforts taxonomically identify the precursor organism and definitively ally it to a living group. However, the symmetry and unusual features of the body are analogous to members of Platyzoa. The presence of ribbon-shaped fossils in the Zhongyicun Member in Anning indicates that these organisms were at least a locally significant component of Cambrian seafloor ecosystems, and may hold important implications for our understanding of the early evolution of Bilateria.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2096519221000525Early CambrianPlatyhelmintheBilateriaMacrofossilEastern YunnanGeological survey engineering |
| spellingShingle | Feng Tang Si-cun Song Guang-xu Zhang Ai-lin Chen Jun-ping Liu Enigmatic ribbon-like fossil from Early Cambrian of Yunnan, China China Geology Early Cambrian Platyhelminthe Bilateria Macrofossil Eastern Yunnan Geological survey engineering |
| title | Enigmatic ribbon-like fossil from Early Cambrian of Yunnan, China |
| title_full | Enigmatic ribbon-like fossil from Early Cambrian of Yunnan, China |
| title_fullStr | Enigmatic ribbon-like fossil from Early Cambrian of Yunnan, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enigmatic ribbon-like fossil from Early Cambrian of Yunnan, China |
| title_short | Enigmatic ribbon-like fossil from Early Cambrian of Yunnan, China |
| title_sort | enigmatic ribbon like fossil from early cambrian of yunnan china |
| topic | Early Cambrian Platyhelminthe Bilateria Macrofossil Eastern Yunnan Geological survey engineering |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2096519221000525 |
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