Furongian (upper Cambrian) Guole Konservat-Lagerst?tte from South China

The Guole biota contains common shelly fossils and some exceptionally well-preserved soft-bodied fossils. Stratigraphically, it is located in the mudstones and siltstones of the Sandu Formation near Guole Town, Jingxi County, Guangxi, South China. It is the first Furongian (late Cambrian) Burgess Shale-type biota found in the world, thereby filling the gap between middle Cambrian and Lower Ordovician Burgess Shale-type Lagerst?tten. Preliminary studies suggest that the Guole biota includes approximately seven metazoan groups as well as algae. These will provide important new evolutionary and ecological information.     

Tasmanian Cambrian biostratigraphy—a preliminary report

In Tasmania shelly fossils are known from Middle and Upper Cambrian sediments of the Dundas Trough, Fossey Mountain Trough, Dial Range Trough, Beaconsfield Trough, Smithton Basin, Adamsfield Trough and from within sediments associated with the Mount Read Volcanics of Western Tasmania. In the Dundas Trough fossils range in age from early Middle Cambrian (Ptychagnostus gibbus Zone) to the middle Late Cambrian (pre‐Payntonian A or B). Late Middle Cambrian fossils occur in sediments associated with the Mount Read Volcanics in two places in Western Tasmania. Late Middle Cambrian fossils only are known from the Smithton Basin and the Beaconsfield Trough. Late Middle to early Late Cambrian faunas are known from the Dial Range Trough; the Adamsfield Trough contains middle Middle to middle Late Cambrian fossils. Tasmanian Cambrian faunas show affinities with those of Queensland, China, the northwest Siberian Platform and northern Victoria Land, Antarctica.     

Discovery of Trace Fossils from the Sinian—Cambrian Boundary Beds in Eastern Yunnan and Their Significance for Global Correlation1

Abstract There are abundant and highly varied trace fossils in the Sinian—Cambrian boundary beds in eastern Yunnan. Collections from 27 sections and their study give altogether 45 ichnogenera and 87 ichnospecies. Among them, 2 ichnogenera and 7 ichnospecies are new, and 31 known ichnogenera and 38 known ichnospecies first found in the region. According to their order of appearance in the boundary beds and their assemblage features, the trace fossils in the Sinian—Cambrian boundary beds in the region may fall into 4 trace fossil assemblage zones in ascending order. In the paper they are correlated with those in the equivalent horizons abroad and their geological significance is discussed preliminarily.     

Diminutive trace fossils in the Chengjiang Lagerstätte

Diminutive trace fossils described here have been well preserved in connection with certain pliable carapaces or skeletons of the Chengjiang animals. Taphonomic evidence suggests that these traces were formed in situ. The peculiar preservation indicates that some bilaterians of uncertain affinities seem to have been active at the burial site, constituting an important group of the hidden majority of Cambrian marine community. This may be an essential feature closely associated with the palaeoecology and exceptional preservation of the Cambrian fossil Lagerstätten. The rare preservation of such millimetre‐sized trace fossils raises further doubts about the timing of the initial benthic bilaterians by applying trace fossil evidence.     

贵州台江中寒武世凯里组中分枝状宏观藻类化石

本文描述了贵州中寒武世凯里组中的分枝状宏观藻类化石5属7种，即：Marpolia spissa Walcott,Marpolia aequalis Walcott,Guizhouella ramulosa Yang(gen.et sp.nov.),Doushantuophyton lineare Chen,Thamnophton formosus Yang(gen.et sp.nov.),Eoulothrix fibrillata Ding,Eoulothrix flabellophyton Yang(sp.mov.)。根据大量的藻类与凯里生物群共生特征，从藻类的生态及生物群分布受到沉积韵律控制等特征分析，认为凯里生物群生活环境的水深应该在30－60m，而埋藏和保存环境的水深是150m左右。另外，将凯里生物群中的宏观藻类化石与震旦纪陡山沱期的藻类化石进行了比较，两者在以分枝状藻类占主要组成上是相似的，从这一方面来说，晚震旦世宏观藻类与寒武纪宏观藻类没有大的演变，但寒武纪宏观藻类以出现钙质珊瑚藻类、分枝更加复杂的类型和具有锯齿状叶状体、生殖托构造的藻类为特征。     

Biological and Molecular Geochemical Evidence for Dinoflagellate Ancestors in the Upper Sinian-Cambrian

Dinoflagellates are single celled organisms that reflect the ecological conditions in modern oceans and lakes. Their earliest undisputed fossil record suggests that dinoflagellates originated from the Middle Triassic (c. 240 Ma ago). However, the presence of molecular biomarkers (dinosterane, 4α-methyl-24-ethylcholestane and tria-romatic dinosteroids) in rock extracts and coccoid dinoflagellate fossils from the upper Sinian to Cambrian of the Tarim basin confirms the hypothesis that dinoflagellates have an ancient origin, and predate the oldest undisputed dinoflagellate fossils at least by 300 Ma, as early as the late Sinian-Cambrian.     

贵州台江早—中寒武世凯里组的宏观藻类化石

本文描述了贵州寒武纪凯里组中的宏观藻类化石７属１２种,其中有６个新属１０个新种;Ｂｏｓｗｏｒｔｈｉａ ｓｉｍｕｌａｎｓ,Ｂ．ｇｙｇｅｓ,Ｅｏｌａｍｉｎａｒｉａ ｇｒａｎｄｉｓ ｇｅｎ。ｅｔ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ。,Ｅ．ｐｅｒｅｌｅｇａｎｓ ｇｅｎ。ｅｔ ｓｐ。ｎｏｖ．,Ｆ．ｖｅｉｎ ｇｅｎ．ｅｔ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．,Ｋａｉｌｉｐｈｙｔｏｎ ｓｉｍｕｌａｎｓ ｇｅｎ．ｅｔ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．,Ｐａｌａｅｏｓｐｉｎｅ     

华南奥斯坦(Orsten)型保存化石的研究进展及展望

奥斯坦(Orsten)型保存化石是一类个体微小却三维保存软躯体的、表皮次生磷酸盐化的以节肢动物为主的化石。和澄江生物群化石不同的是,奥斯坦型保存化石无明显受垂向挤压变形,是一种特殊的保存方式。奥斯坦型保存化石呈现出精美的生物活体时的形态特征,对研究节肢动物的生长模式、系统分类及个体发育提供了重要的形态证据。二十多年来,中国的古生物学家锲而不舍地在寒武纪地层里找寻这类化石。中国的南方是世界奥斯坦型化石重要的产出地之一,其潜在的化石资源有待深入研究,研究前景具有挑战性。     

Cambrian Burgess Shale-type Lagerstätten in South China: Distribution and significance

The final assembly of the supercontinent Gondwana during the Pan-African orogenic episodes (ca. 550–520 Ma) almost simultaneously took place with the Cambrian explosion that is best manifested by a number of Cambrian Burgess Shale-type Lagerstätten in South China. The relationship between South China and Gondwana during the Cambrian is far from consensus. Burgess Shale-type Lagerstätten may have potential importance for the paleogeographic reconstruction. However, such Lagerstätten have been known in large number only in Laurentia and South China, far less common in Gondwana and other continents. Burgess Shale-type Lagerstätten in South China are not evenly spaced through the Cambrian. They appear to be concentrated in the Lower Cambrian, particularly in the Canglangpuian and Qiongzhusian stages, much reduced in number from the uppermost Lower Cambrian. Of ten reported such Lagerstätten, only the Kaili biota (basal Middle Cambrian) is known to be younger than Early Cambrian. This reduction could be explained by the fact that vast areas of siliciclastic facies in both the western plate interior (platform) and the eastern slope basin during most time of Early Cambrian (Meishucunian to Canglangpuian) is evolved into carbonate facies at the very end of Early Cambrian (Longwangmiaoian). It has been known from this study that both siliciclastic platform facies and slope basin facies (shale basin) could preserve soft-bodied fossils. Cambrian Burgess Shale-type Lagerstätten in South China are of great significance for providing a sequences of exceptionally preserved biota in a chronological succession. Comparison of such Lagerstätten in a chronological framework may give us more details on the Cambrian explosion events.     

汉中梁山小壳动物化石发现及地层意义

梁山位于陕西省汉中市附近,属西南地台的北部边缘。1979年,我系陈润业教授带领学生在梁山大南沟实习,于下寒武统郭家坝组底部,厚度不到1米的含海绿石土黄色灰质砂岩及灰白色砂质灰岩中,首次发现了小壳动物化石(图1),并提出了梁山地区有相当于梅树村期沉积的可能性。     

New high‐resolution age data from the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary indicate rapid,ecologically driven onset of the Cambrian explosion

The replacement of the late Precambrian Ediacaran biota by morphologically disparate animals at the beginning of the Phanerozoic was a key event in the history of life on Earth, the mechanisms and the time‐scales of which are not entirely understood. A composite section in Namibia providing biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic data bracketed by radiometric dating constrains the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary to 538.6–538.8 Ma, more than 2 Ma younger than previously assumed. The U–Pb‐CA‐ID TIMS zircon ages demonstrate an ultrashort time frame for the LAD of the Ediacaran biota to the FAD of a complex, burrowing Phanerozoic biota represented by trace fossils to a 410 ka time window of 538.99 ± 0.21 Ma to 538.58 ± 0.19 Ma. The extremely short duration of the faunal transition from Ediacaran to Cambrian biota within less than 410 ka supports models of ecological cascades that followed the evolutionary breakthrough of increased mobility at the beginning of the Phanerozoic.     

Graptolites: fossil and living

Every student of palaeontology will stumble upon the term ‘graptolite’ at some point and will wonder what these strange little fossils mean. Thought to be long extinct, the few living graptolites and their extinct relatives have been united quite recently by palaeontologists through cladistic analysis. Not that the extant graptolites were overlooked, but the connection has never been made between the fossil graptolites and their modern descendants. We now have a much better scientific basis for our interpretation and understanding of these fossils and graptolites are recognized as part of a living clade of small and inconspicuous marine organisms, the Pterobranchia. They have been around since the Cambrian Period (c. 520–510 Ma) and, thus, they may represent one of the longest‐existing groups of organisms. Not that they should be termed ‘living fossils’, but their perseverance is remarkable in its own way and may lead to the question as to how they were able to achieve this success and survive for all these eons. May they be able to show us a key to survival in the future?     

寒武纪生物大爆发之后的底栖生态系统工程建造者:以河南地区为例

扰动生物作为生态系统工程建造者,通过对沉积底质的改造直接影响沉积物和水体之间的相互作用（营养物质的循环、迁移和存储）,对底栖生态系统工程有重要的影响.遗迹化石作为底栖生物活动的载体,为研究寒武纪大爆发之后底栖生态系统工程建造者的演化规律,并评价底栖生态系统工程建造者对生态系统工程产生的影响提供了依据.对河南地区8个寒武系剖面的遗迹化石数据进行统计,应用现代生物学中生态系统工程影响值的概念,从功能群、阶层、生物灌溉3个方面对底栖生态系统工程建造者进行研究.研究结果表明,寒武系第三阶至鼓山阶底栖生态系统工程建造者功能群类型由生物扩散型扰动者往向上/下运输者转变,阶层逐渐加深,生物灌溉越来越普及,生态系统工程影响值不断增大.鼓山阶至第十阶,遗迹化石类型及结构变化不大,生态系统工程影响值趋于稳定.这表明从寒武纪生物大爆发至鼓山阶,底栖生态系统工程建造者的行为策略发生着明显的进化与创新,生态系统工程建造者不仅开拓了重要的生态空间,而且为其他底栖生物和微生物创造了新的生境,在寒武纪海洋生态系统中扮演着重要的角色.      

贵州早寒武世早期黑色页岩中生物化石保存及生态学研究

早寒武世早期黑色页岩中以前只发现少量的海绵骨针,但随着研究的深入,各类动物化石被发现。最近,贵州早寒武世早期黑色页岩中发现碳质和薄膜型化石,它们包括大量的简单线状遗迹、碳质膜状高肌虫、完整海绵动物、管虫、薄壳双壳动物、碳质膜状软舌螺以及一些圆形膜状化石等。通过对黑色页岩的粘土矿物定量和定性分析,结合地球化学特征,认为早寒武世早期小壳动物繁盛期之上有一个大型动物繁盛期,随后由于地壳拉张作用,大规模的海底热液和火山喷发作用的加强,海洋环境变成酸性环境,不利于生物生存,发生生物绝灭作用,随后海洋环境逐渐趋于碱性,大量的生物又开始繁盛。     

Cambrian wave‐dominated tidal‐flat deposits,central Wisconsin,USA

In central Wisconsin, Cambrian strata of the Elk Mound Group record deposition on open‐coast, wave‐dominated tidal flats. Mature, medium‐grained quartz arenite is dominated by parallel‐bedding with upper‐flow regime parallel‐lamination, deposited during high‐energy storms that also produced three‐dimensional bedforms on the flats. Abundant wave ripples were produced as storms waned or during fair weather, in water depths ≤2 m. Indicators of variably shallow water (washout structures and stranded cnidarian medusae) and subaerial exposure (adhesion marks, rain‐drop impressions and desiccation cracks, including cracked medusae) are abundant. Parallel‐bedded facies preserve a Cruziana ichnofacies, similar to other Cambrian tidal‐flat deposits. Flats were dissected by small, mainly straight channels, the floors of which were grazed intensely by molluscs. Most channels were ephemeral but some developed low levées, point bars and cut‐banks, probably reflecting stabilization by abundant microbial mats and biofilms. Channels were filled with trough cross‐bedding that is interpreted to have been produced mainly during storm runoff. The strata resemble deposits of open‐coast, wave‐dominated tidal flats on the east coast of India and west coast of Korea. Ancient wave‐dominated and open‐coast tidal flats documented to date appear to have been limited to mud‐rich strata with ‘classic’ tidal indicators such as flaser bedding and tidal bundles. The Cambrian (Miaolingian to early Furongian) Elk Mound Group demonstrates that sandy, wave‐dominated tidal flats also can be recognized in the stratigraphic record.     

贵州剑河八郎“清虚洞组”Olenoides Meek,1877的研究

贵州剑河八郎松山(九高山)寒武系"清虚洞组"产有多门类具软躯体的生物群——剑河生物群,其中三叶虫非常丰富,属于叉尾虫科(Dorypygidae)的拟油栉虫(Olenoides Meek,1877),是一个重要的三叶虫属。Olenoides全球分布,出现于寒武纪第二世(都匀期),灭绝于寒武纪第三世(古丈期晚期),是进行地层对比重要的三叶虫。松山(九高山)"清虚洞组"中的Olenoides包括2个种(含1个相似种):收缩拟油栉虫Olenoides contrictus(Chien,1961)及湖北拟油栉虫(相似种)O.cf.hubeiensis(Sun,1984),两者应为"清虚洞组"上覆地层凯里组产出的O.paraptus及O.hubeiensis的原始类型。Olenoides在寒武系黔东统都匀阶"清虚洞组"的发现,为其在研究区产出的最低层位。为Olenoides早期的形态、演化及时空分布的研究提供了重要的材料,也为寒武系都匀阶(第4阶)的生物地层研究提供了一些新的信息。     

Paleoceanographic Indicators for Early Cambrian Black Shales from the Yangtze Platform,South China: Evidence from Biomarkers and Carbon Isotopes

The lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation, a widespread black shale deposition, is of geological interest because of its polymetallic beds, Cambrian explosion, depositional ages, dramatic environmental changes and so on. Previous study focused mainly on inorganic geochemistry and few studies have investigated the organic fractions of upper Neoproterozoic-lower Cambrian strata in South China. Here we report a study of biomarkers plus organic carbon isotopes for black shales from Ganziping, Hunan Province (China). All the saturated hydrocarbon fractions have a unimodal distribution of n-alkanes, a high content of short-chain alkanes and maximize at C 19 or C 20 (C 23 for sample Gzh00-1). The C 27 /C 29 sterane ratio ranges from 0.77 to 1.20 and 4-methylsteranes are in low abundance. These parameters indicate that algae and bacteria are the important primary producers. Furthermore, biomarker maturity proxies show the samples to be higher maturity. The low Pr/Ph values (<0.7) suggest that the samples were deposited under anoxic conditions and, likely, under stratified water columns. In addition, 25-norhopanes and gammacerane are present as diagnostic indicators of normal marine salinity and dysoxic to anoxic conditions. During the Early Tommotian, known to coincide with a transgression event, small shelly fossils increased in abundance and diversity. Moreover, positive δ 13 C org excursions close to 1.4‰ occur at the base of the Tommotian stage. In summary, the Early Cambrian black shales were deposited under dramatic paleoenvironmental changes, including oceanic anoxia, higher primary productivity and sea-level rise.     

First report on Guanshan Biota(Cambrian Stage 4) at the stratotype area of Wulongqing Formation in Malong County,Eastern Yunnan,China

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.     

Origin, diversification, and relationships of Cambrian lobopods

As an extinct group, the origin, diversification and relationships of Cambrian lobopods have long been one of the most hotly-debated subjects. Lobopods used to be regarded as closely related to modern onychophorans and tardigrades, but the similarities are based on the few species of Cambrian lobopods and often on a fairly general level. With the discovery of new creatures and based on new observations on fossil lobopods, we consider that Cambrian lobopods show great diversity and reveal a close relationship between Cambrian lobopods and arthropods. In addition, comparison between the dorsal spines of Cambrian lobopods and small shelly fossils suggest that Cambrian lobopods might have originated from the Meishucun radiation and diversified in the Qiongzhusi radiation.     

淮北地区寒武系/新元古界界线讨论

淮北地区寒武系与新元古界的界线 ,长期以来存在争议 ,主要有 5种划分意见 :猴家山组 /沟后组 ,沟后组 /金山寨组 ,沟后组上段 /沟后组下段 ,金山寨组 /望山组及猴家山组 /金山寨组之间。通过近年来的实地考察和室内研究 ,从叠层石、宏体碳质压膜化石及小壳动物化石组合综合考虑 ,认为该区新元古界最上面的岩组应是沟后组 ,而超覆于区内新元古界不同层位上的长期被描述为猴家山组“豹斑状”灰岩、白云岩 ,实为昌平组 ,属下寒武统