寒武纪大爆发与动物树的成型

由“真动物”构成的动物界（不包括海绵）通常被划分为双胚层动物、原口动物和后口动物3个亚界。寒武纪大爆发经历了爆发的前奏—序幕—主幕3个阶段,其中后两个阶段处于早寒武世初期（依次以小壳化石的首次辐射和澄江动物群爆发为代表）,另一个则发生在“寒武前夜”（即前寒武纪末期）,以伊迪卡拉生物群为代表。这次独特的三幕式大爆发分步完成了动物形态演化谱系树（简写为TOA）的成型。已有化石证据显示,动物树的3大主体或3个亚界的起源及其早期辐射分别发生于寒武纪大爆发这3个主要阶段。澄江化石库中发现的早期后口动物亚界涵盖了该亚界中所有6大分支（棘皮类、半索类、头索类、尾索类、脊椎类和绝灭了的古虫类）的原始类群,澄江动物群时代标志着寒武纪大爆发的顶峰,完成了动物树框架的成型,从而宣告了寒武纪大爆发的基本终结。其学术重要性超越了中寒武世的布尔吉斯页岩,因为前者位于动物树形成的“源头”,而后者仅代表此后的“一段流程”。在动物演化历史上4个最具转折意义的重大创新事件（即多细胞动物起源、两侧对称动物起源、后口动物起源和脊椎动物起源）中,第一个发生在伊迪卡拉纪甚至更早的时期,其余3个则可通过梅树村化石群和澄江化石群观察到其完成的主体过程。已灭绝的古虫动物门,是初具鳃裂构造的原始分节动物,作为由原口动物向后口动物过渡的一个珍稀“缺环”,很可能代表着后口动物亚界的一个根。古囊类兼有两侧对称的古虫类和一些原始棘皮动物的镶嵌体征,最可能代表棘皮动物的一个根。在早寒武世动物演化谱系中,后口动物的＂顶端类群＂的代表是被誉为“第一鱼”的昆明鱼目,目前已知包括昆明鱼、海口鱼和钟健鱼,它们具对眼、脊索与串珠状脊椎软骨共存的原始脊椎,?     

推荐《澄江动物群的核心价值:动物界成型和人类基础器官诞生》

正编者按:舒德干院士与韩健研究员完成的学术论文《澄江动物群的核心价值:动物界成型和人类基础器官诞生》对澄江动物群研究进行了高屋建瓴的总结,并由此初步破解了达尔文留下的几个重大科学难题: 地球动物树如何起源成型?什么是寒武纪大爆发的本质内涵?人类基础器官的源头在哪里?     

寒武纪生命扩张及澄江动物群的意义

生命在地球上的出现及其演化有较长的历史。地球的物理、化学条件是早期生命出现的外因。早寒武世西南地区地质、气候及富含营养的浅海水域是澄江动物群在后生动物演化的关键时期出现的外因。“寒武纪生物的扩张”应有恰当的翻译，同时对现代生物学的“适应辐射”应有清楚的中文解释。从新近发现看，早、中寒武世的澄江动物群及布吉斯页岩动物群与埃迪卡拉动物群具有一些联系，埃迪卡拉动物群并没有在寒武纪时完全绝灭。     

昆明地区早寒武世关山动物群研究新进展

总结了昆明地区关山动物群自1999年命名以来开展的研究工作和取得的新进展.简要叙述了关山动物群的研究概况、地层位置、生物群组合特征和关山动物群的研究意义.在关山动物群中首次发现了古虫动物门的Vetulicola gangtoucunensis Luo,Fu et Hu,吐卓虫Tuzoia sp.nov.,古蠕虫Palaeoscolex sp.nov.,腕足类Heliomedusa sp.nov.及三叶形虫、海绵动物新属种.指出关山动物群是一个由多门类软躯体后生动物化石组成的伯吉斯页岩型的动物群,时代介于澄江动物群与凯里动物群(或伯吉斯页岩动物群)之间,起到了承前启后的作用,在寒武纪生命大爆发和寒武纪早期生物演化的研究中有重要意义.     

昆明地区早寒武世关山动物群的古虫动物新发现

关山动物群是一个以三叶虫为主伴生有三叶形虫、吐卓虫、古虫、古蠕虫、腕足类及海绵动物的多门类软躯体后生动物化石群 ,时代介于澄江动物群与凯里动物群 (或伯吉斯页岩动物群 )之间 ,因此它的发现和研究对进一步阐明寒武纪早期生命大爆发和生物的早期演化都具有非常重要的意义。关山动物群中的古虫动物的发现有着更大的意义 ,它不仅增加了古虫动物的属种内容 ,而且对古虫动物的演化具有一定的作用。本文详细描述了昆明地区早寒武世沧浪铺阶乌龙箐组发现的古虫动物新种 Vetulicola gangtoucunensis L uo,Fu etHu sp. nov.,进一步修订了古…     

澄江化石库中的双胚层动物新知

作为观察寒武纪大爆发主幕奥秘的最佳科学窗口,澄江化石库展示了三胚层动物(即两侧对称动物)首次全面大辐射的历史产物,让学术界终于看到了已知最古老的同时包括原口类和后口类两大支系的动物谱系庞大“树冠”的主体轮廓,从而给许多较高级动物类群的起源和早期演化研究提供了十分重要的信息。然而,该化石宝库中却很少见到作为“树干”的双胚层动物(即辐射动物)的化石记录,这给“真动物”的源头探秘蒙上了阴影。尽管广布于前寒武纪末期全球浅海域的“文德生物群”一直被认为是动物界早期一次“失败的演化试验”的牺牲品,但其中一支成功延续到早寒武世的春光虫(Stromatoveris)具有叠覆状梳齿构造,很可能代表着栉水母类的一类原始祖先。文中描述新的羽毛状动物王氏澄江海笔(Chengjiangopennawangii)不同于春光虫,前者具有彼此分离的羽枝,且羽枝上保存了排列规整的珊瑚个体虫室,因而与现代八射珊瑚中海笔类的形态学特征十分一致;新的谱系分析显示,它应该代表刺胞动物门中的一个原始类群。     

豫西苗岭统馒头组二段皱饰构造与遗迹化石共生特征*

埃迪卡拉纪以来,微生物与后生动物之间呈此消彼长的关系,但在寒武纪苗岭世却出现了微生物成因沉积构造和后生动物扰动构造短暂共存的现象。笔者在豫西馒头组二段下部识别出包括皱饰构造与微生物席裂构造在内的2种微生物成因沉积构造,对皱饰构造与遗迹化石的共生关系进行了分类,建立了席上足辙迹(Monomorphichnus henanensis)与牧食迹(Jinningichnus badaowanensis)、席下水平漫游迹(Planolites montanus)、席下深层泥岩中生物扰动共3种微生物席与后生动物的共生模式和生态演化模型。上述研究表明,具有特殊环境耐受性的“机会主义”动物在食物来源较为宽松的潮坪环境中与微生物席共存,这种微生物席与后生动物短暂而“和谐”的共存关系不仅延续了埃迪卡拉纪双方的部分共生特征,且在以混合底为主导的显生宙生态环境中得到了进一步变化与发展。     

新元古代末期高家山生物群的生态多样性

新元古代末期是生命演化的关键转折期,也是以微生物占主导的生态系统向显生宙以后生动物占主导的生态系统的转变期,埃迪卡拉纪大型软躯体生物以固着、底栖、食悬浮为特色,普遍缺乏运动能力。作为这一时期特殊代表的高家山生物群,是目前新元古代唯一一个以黄铁矿化三维保存的管状和锥管状化石为主导,兼有骨骼生物、原生动物、钙化蓝细菌类及遗迹化石的多门类生物组合,是研究埃迪卡拉纪末期生命演化和生态系统演变十分重要的载体。本文通过对高家山生物群古生态学的初步研究,揭示出在前寒武纪—寒武纪之交,生态系统已显示一定的多样性。为适应平底面上(level-bottom)微生物席的发育,高家山生物群的许多生物采取了适应性的生存策略,通过黏附或插入微生物席中,营底栖固着食悬浮(如Cloudina、Conotubus)或化学共生(可能的Shaanxilithes)或平躺(如Gaojiashania和Sinotubulites)食碎屑生活。底内遗迹化石表明存在可能的表栖和半内栖、可自由运动、食碎屑的造迹生物。Conotubus中常见的“回春”或“复苏”现象,Gaojiashania和Sinotubulites的身体扭转或生活姿态调整则是对频繁风暴事件的被动适应。     

冥古宙的地层学属性:了解地球形成初期古地理背景和演变历史的重要线索*

在现行的前寒武纪地质年代表中,由于太古宙底界没有得到很好的定义,只是被粗略地置于大约4000,Ma,因此也造成了一个没有得到较好定义的“冥古宙”。2个重要的发现促使学者们对冥古宙的地层学属性进行修订:(1)在西澳大利亚Jack山脉太古宙砾岩中发现了真正古老的锆石晶体,其不仅可将地层时代延伸到4404,Ma,而且包含了有关地球早期环境条件较为丰富的信息; (2)在加拿大北部发现了大约4030,Ma的Acasta片麻岩。根据这些发现,并结合月球和陨石的测年数据,就产生了大量有关太阳系和地球早期历史的新知识,包括太阳系与地球的形成、初生地球时期的重要变化及其物质记录和生命的起源及早期进化,这成为修订冥古宙地层学属性的重要基础。修订后的冥古宙代表了地球演变历史的最早时段,即从太阳系和地球在T0=4567,Ma的形成,一直延续到地球上最古老岩石的出现(4030,Ma)。冥古宙还可被进一步划分为2个代:(1)“混沌代”(4567,Ma—4404±8,Ma);(2)“杰克山代”或“锆石代”(4404±8,Ma—4030,Ma)。由于没有保存相应的地层记录,因此冥古宙顶界(4030,Ma)与底界(4567,Ma)的年龄值,仅为一个计时性的年代界限。上述这个被赋予了明确地层学属性的冥古宙,不仅代表了前寒武纪地层学研究的一个重要进展,而且也为深入了解地球早期演变历史提供了许多重要的理念。     

长江中下游成矿带铁-铜成矿系统结构的地球物理探测: 综合分析

成矿系统是在深部过程驱动下形成的、具有自组织的能量及物质迁移-汇聚系统。系统在形成和演化过程中,在岩石圈不同尺度上留下“痕迹”,这种“痕迹”可以通过地球物理、地球化学和遥感等方法进行探测或观测。文章尝试在成矿系统理论框架下,对近10多年来在长江中下游成矿带进行的多尺度地球物理、地球化学探测结果进行分析,识别典型陆内成矿系统“源区”“通道”“场所”的地球物理、地球化学“痕迹”,尝试构建陆内成矿系统的空间结构模型。主要结论有:(1)长江中下游晚中生代的大规模铁、铜多金属成矿作用是一个完整的成矿系统。该系统包括3个子系统,分别为与高钾钙碱性岩浆岩有关的夕卡岩-斑岩成矿子系统、与橄榄安粗岩有关的陆相火山岩铁(硫)成矿子系统和与碱性岩有关的铜-金(铀)成矿子系统。(2)成矿系统的“源区”来自富集地幔的熔融、底侵,并在壳/幔边界与下地壳物质的混合,具有多级分布特点。幔源岩浆与地壳物质混合的比例决定了成矿金属的类型。(3)成矿带发育的“鳄鱼嘴”构造是铁铜成矿系统的主干“通道”。成矿系统“末端”矿质沉淀的“场所”主要受近地表褶皱、断裂、层间滑脱断层,以及由它们形成的断裂(裂隙)网络控制。(4)区域磁异常、放射性和地球化学异常是成矿系统残留“痕迹”的响应和“标识”。通过分析不同尺度的“标识”特征,可以深入认识成矿系统的空间结构,并可用于深部成矿预测。     

Cambrian explosion: Birth of tree of animals

Excluding the sponges the Kingdom Animalia is usually divided into three subkingdoms: Diploblasta, Protostomia and Deuterostomia. The Cambrian Explosion consists of three major episodes, two of which were in the early Early Cambrian (one represented by the small skeletal fossils “SSFs” at the base of the Cambrian and the other represented by the succeeding Chengjiang faunas “CFs”), and the other episode as their prelude took place in the “Eocambrian” (i.e. the latest Precambrian), represented by the Ediacaran faunas. This unique Big Bang of life has been recognized as giving birth to the entire morphological Tree Of Animals (or metazoans), in short the TOA. Its “seed” in the deep Precambrian, represented by some sort of protist from which the complete TOA must have grown, remains unknown paleontologically. However, the fossil evidence suggests that the three major episodes of the Cambrian Explosion are responsible for the earliest radiations of the three subkingdoms of animals respectively. While the observed Ediacaran fauna might constitute only a small part of the whole Ediacaran biota, our evidence supports that it was dominated by diploblasts (the “trunk” of the TOA) with only a few possible stem-group triploblasts. The Early Cambrian in turn in two phases explosively yielded almost all the major triploblastic crown-branches (Bilateria: the huge “crown” of the TOA), which include the other two subkingdoms: first the extremely diverse protostomes in the Meishucunian Age and then followed by a nearly entire lineage of early deuterostomes from the Chengjiang, including even its most derived member – the earliest true vertebrates. Among the four most significant milestones of morphological origins and radiations in animal history, the first one (i.e. appearance of metazoans) took place in the Ediacaran Period or earlier times, and the other three can be seen in the windows available from the Chengjiang and the Meishucunian fossil assemblages. The newly discovered extinct Phylum Vetulicolia, which has primitively segmented body with simple gill slits in its anterior division, most probably represents one of the roots of the deuterostome subkingdom. Showing a mosaic of basic features possessed in both the bilateral vetulicolians and some primitive echinoderms, the soft-bodied vetulocystids are best regarded as one of the roots of the extant pentamerous echinoderms. Standing on the “top” of the deuterostome super-branch in the early Cambrian TOA are the “the first fish” Myllokunmingia and Haikouichthys, which bear paired eyes and salient proto-vertebrae. These animals represent the real root of the remainder of the vertebrates or craniates. On the contrary, yunnanozoans, including Yunnanozoon and Haikouella, possess neither eyes nor unequivocal vertebrae, and may have nothing to do with the craniates, let alone the vertebrates. Those enigmatic creatures share a similar body-plan with vetulicolians and should be treated as a side-branch within the lower deuterostomes.     

Birth and early evolution of metazoans

The reconstruction of the phylogenetic tree of animals (TOA) has long been one of the central interests in biological and paleobiological sciences. We review the latest results of paleontological and stratigraphical studies on the Ediacaran–Cambrian sequences mainly from South China for revising the TOA in accordance with modern genome biology. A particular focus is given to the pattern of animal diversification based on the fossil first appearances of high-rank clades chiefly in phylum-level. The results show an abrupt divergence of lineages during the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition; however, the appearances of metazoan phyla were obviously diachronous, with three major phases recognized herein. The first phase is marked by the appearances of basal metazoan phyla in the latest Ediacaran. Very few unequivocal bilaterian clades were present at this phase. The second phase occurred in the Terreneuvian (Cambrian Stages 1–2), represented by the occurrences of many lophotrochozoan lineages. This phase also involves the appearances of calcified basal metazoan lineages, and possibly, those of contentious ecdysozoans in the latest Terreneuvian, but no deuterostome has been known from this age. The third and also the largest phase occurred in the Cambrian Stage 3, which involve all the three supraphylogenetic clades of the Eubilateria. A number of lophotrochozoan lineages, the bulk of ecdysozoans, and all deuterostome phyla, appeared for the first time in this phase. Since there is no unambiguous evidence for bilaterians in the Ediacaran, the Cambrian explosion sensu stricto was an abrupt diversification of bilateral lineages in a short time of ca. 25 million years across the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary. Next critical issues in research include high-resolution chrono- and chemostratigraphic analyses, correlations between biotic events and environmental perturbations, physiological approach to the biological connotation of biomineralization, and exploration for the lost mid-oceanic biota and environments, which are crucial in understanding the entire picture of the Cambrian explosion.     

埃迪卡拉纪—寒武纪之交微生物岩特征对比及古海洋学意义: 以汉南—米仓山地区为例*

寒武纪初期不仅发生了宏体生物大爆发,而且也出现了地质历史时期少见的蓝细菌鞘体大规模钙化事件。埃迪卡拉纪—寒武纪之交海水化学性质的转变对真核生物的演化起到了重要作用,但是这种转变对微生物岩发育特征以及蓝细菌钙化事件的产生有无影响,目前尚不明确。鉴于此,对华南上扬子北缘汉南—米仓山地区上埃迪卡拉统—寒武系第二统多个典型微生物岩发育剖面进行了系统野外调查和室内岩石学分析,结果表明:上埃迪卡拉统灯影组叠层石广泛发育,以平铺状、缓波状特征为主,而凝块石既可以呈补丁状分布于叠层石纹层间,又可以呈细小的凝絮状、粘结状特征构成厚层岩层;寒武系第二统仙女洞组叠层石丰度显著降低,以高大、坚硬的丘状隆起为特点,包括单独的凝块石丘,以及微生物与古杯的联合建丘。虽然寒武系第二统微生物岩的层状结构和凝块结构与埃迪卡拉系相比并无太大差异,但是寒武系微生物岩内部保存有大量的钙化微生物化石,已识别出附枝菌(Epiphyton)、肾形菌(Renalcis)和葛万菌(Girvanella)等多种类型。在收集、整理前人有关微生物岩特征和发育资料的基础上,本次研究初步整理出华南寒武系第二统微生物岩的时空分布特点,发现寒武纪第二世第三期是钙化微生物大量发育的一个时期,在随后的第四期达到一个小的高峰。对于此次蓝细菌钙化作用幕的启动机制,除前人提出的海水高钙离子浓度和蓝细菌体内二氧化碳浓缩机制等认识外,寒武纪早期海水性质的转变(方解石质原生矿物受成岩改造程度较低)、适度的陆源碎屑输入(黏土组分保护作用)也有利于钙化微生物结构的保存,应引起重视。     

澄江生物群分子在贵州遵义牛蹄塘组发现

澄江生物群是认识寒武纪生命大爆发的重要窗口,它的分布范围一直仅限于滇东地区,员近在贵州遵义松林牛蹄塘组底部页岩中发现有Naronia,Archotuba Conoidalis,Isaxys,Perpicaris,Lingulepis,Tsunyidiscus,Scenella,水母状化石(medusiform fossil),海绵动物化石Leptomitus,类似半索动物秆壁虫Rhabdopleura化石,软舌螺类Hyolithids,宏观藻类和疑源类化石Zunyiphyton perelegans Yang et Zhao,1999,Yuknessia sp.,Longenema Ding,1996,Sphaerocongregus variabilis等。其中有一部分是属于澄江生物群分子,这是云南省外澄江生物群分子的新发现。由于生物群之下40m处还产大量海绵动物、高肌虫和藻类化石等组成的松林生物群,其上又有下寒武统明心寺组古杯动物群,因此,这一生物群的发现对研究早寒武世生物的演化也具有一定的科学意义,同时,对澄江生物群的古生态学研究也具有重要意义。     

Glaciation and ~ 770 Ma Ediacara (?) Fossils from the Lesser Karatau Microcontinent,Kazakhstan

The Cambrian explosion, c. 530–515 Ma heralded the arrival of a diverse assembly of multicellular life including the first hard-shelled organisms. Fossils found in Cambrian strata represent the ancestors of most modern animal phyla. In contrast to the apparent explosiveness seen in the Cambrian fossil record, studies of molecular biology hint that the diversification observed in Cambrian strata was rooted in ancestry extending back into the Ediacaran (635–542 Ma). Fossil evidence for this mostly cryptic phase of evolution is derived from the soft-bodied fossils of the Ediacaran biota found throughout the world and bilaterian embryos found in the Doushantuo lagerstätte in South China. The first appearance of Ediacara fauna is thought to have followed the last of the ~ 750–635 Ma Neoproterozoic glacial episodes by 20–30 million years. In this paper, we present evidence for the oldest discovery of the ‘Ediacara’ discoidal fossils Nimbia occlusa and Aspidella terranovica (?) that predate the early Cryogenian glaciations by more than fifty million years. There is considerable disagreement over the significance of discoidal Ediacaran fossils, but our findings may support earlier suggestions that metazoan life has roots extending deeper into the Proterozoic Eon. We also confirm the presence of a Late Cryogenian (e.g. “Marinoan”) glaciation on the Lesser Karatau microcontinent including dropstones and striated clasts within the glacial strata.     

Kaili Biota: A Taphonomic Window on Diversification of Metazoans from the Basal Middle Cambrian: Guizhou, China

1 Introduction The Burgess Shale Biota was discovered in the Cambrian strata of western Canada by American paleontologist C. D. Walcott in 1909 (Walcott, 1911). The fauna contains more than 140 metazoan genera (Robison, 1991, Briggs et al., 1994), with a preservational range from hard skeletal parts, non-mineralized remains and internal soft-tissue and soft-body remains. Following that discovery up to 40 similar taphonomic locations have been found globally in Lower and Middle Cambrian …