Phosphatized rare star-like mouth disc of Punctatus and its functional morphology from the earliest Cambrian of the South Shaanxi China

The Meishucun stage is the prelude in deciphering the Cambrian Explosion. In this prominent stage, rapid radioactive evolution and body-plan innovation have taken place and different associations of organism have been shaped. In this paper we report several 3D-preserved rare star-like fossils with finely preserved soft tissues which were recovered from the Kuanchuanpu Member of the Dengying Formation in South Shaanxi, China in 2003. By studying on functional morphology and analogy with mouthpart of Punctatus, there are evidences that this star-like organism approaches the coelenterates in systematic classification and the centre of star-like organism is its mouth. The appearance of coelenterates marks the real beginning of metazoan evolution. Therefore, it has the prominent position in the origin and evolutionary history of organisms. Perhaps the star-like organism represents the early types of coelenterate with original tentacles. These new materials provide new evidence for the origin, evolution and the functional evolution of the metazoan during the early stage of the Cambrian Explosion. __________ Translated from Acta Micropalaeontologica Sinica, 2006, 23(1): 62–69 [译自: 微体古生物学报]     

陕南早寒武世早期Quadrapyrgites再研究

处于"寒武纪生命大爆发"序幕阶段的梅树村期,生物类群大规模辐射,身体构型快速革新,与前寒武纪生物群面貌明显不同.最近在陕南宁强宽川铺地区梅树村期地层中发现了大量五辐射Punctatus及部分四辐射四方塔形壳属Quadrapyrgites,其中包括1个新种Quadrnpyrgites undulatuscostalis sp.nov..在此基础上对Quadrapyrgites进行了属征补充.双胚层腔肠动物的出现标志着地球生命史的真后生动物演化开端,在生物起源演化历程上占据着关键的位置.本文为研究真后生动物起源演化、生物辐射、体型构建提供了重要实证.     

陕南早寒武世早期磷酸盐化Punctatus奇异星状口盘的发现及其形态功能分析

早寒武世最早期梅树村期处于“寒武纪大爆发”序幕阶段。在这一时期,生物类群发生了大规模辐射演化及其身体构型的快速革新,形成与前寒武纪生物群明显不同的生物组合面貌。最近在陕南宽川铺地区早寒武世早期灯影组宽川铺段地层中发现了数十枚呈三维立体精美保存的磷酸盐化奇异星状生物化石标本,通过形态功能分析及与其共生的Punctatus的口盘类比表明,该奇异星状生物很可能属于腔肠动物Punctatus的口盘,星状体的中心为该生物的口部。而腔肠动物的出现标志着真后生动物的开始,在生物起源演化历程上占据着极其关键的位置。本文报道的奇异星状生物可能代表了初具原始触手的腔肠动物早期演化类型,为研究真后生动物起源演化、功能进化提供了新的实证材料。     

陕南早寒武世具口部的磷酸盐化Punctatus及其胚胎化石

报道陕西南部灯影组宽川铺段地层中发现的Punctatus锥体标本、保留精美软组织特征的口部标本和可能的胚胎标本。对Punctatus软组织及整体形态功能研究表明,Punctatus在分类上可能更接近于腔肠动物的水螅型,代表初具原始触手的腔肠动物早期演化类型。在上万枚与Punctatus共生的球状化石中,发现若干枚可能的原肠期胚胎及胚胎发育晚期标本,在此基础上提出PunctatusemeiensisHe,1980花冠状口部可能经历的胚胎发育序列。     

寒武纪早期岩家河生物群:研究进展和展望*

埃迪卡拉纪-寒武纪转换时期动物的起源、演化和"寒武纪大爆发"一直是国际古生物学界研究的热点问题,其中寒武纪早期小壳化石群与埃迪卡拉纪化石群和寒武纪早期澄江化石库之间的内在关系是古生物学界研究的难题,其主要原因是寒武纪早期与小壳化石群伴生的宏体动、植物化石的缺乏。发现于峡东地区的寒武纪早期岩家河生物群填补了这一缺失环节,该生物群包含宏体动物、宏观藻类、小壳化石、球形化石(可能的胚胎化石)、微古植物和蓝菌类等化石,部分宏体化石显示了从埃迪卡拉纪向寒武纪过渡色彩。化石保存方式有碳质膜、黄铁矿化、磷酸盐化、硅化。因此对岩家河生物群生物多样性和埋藏学进行综合研究,将可提供纽芬兰世(梅树村期)碳酸盐台地—碳酸盐台地内部的局部凹陷盆地相的一个较完整的生物景观图,对探索"寒武纪大爆发主幕"前夕生物的辐射、演化模式及保存机制具有重要的科学意义。     

关山生物群中始海百合化石的再研究*

关山生物群是继澄江生物群之后云南寒武纪早期地层中发现的又一个特异埋藏的化石宝库。现已报道10多个门类的化石动物,对研究寒武纪生命大爆发、后生动物起源及演化、寒武纪早期生态系统的复原等重大学术问题具有特殊的意义。始海百合属于棘皮动物门海蕾亚门,于寒武纪早期出现,志留纪灭绝。笔者将荧光显微镜等先进成像方式与传统的研究手段相结合,对新采集到的关山生物群始海百合化石标本进行深入细致的系统古生物学研究,对其精细形态学构造和生活习性获得更深入的了解。这对于认识寒武纪早期的生物多样性和棘皮动物的演化都具有重要的意义。     

Current advances in the phylogenetic reconstruction of metazoan evolution. A new paradigm for the Cambrian explosion?

The study of metazoan evolution has fascinated biologists for centuries, and it will certainly keep doing so. Recent interest on the origin of metazoan body plans, early metazoan evolution, genetic mechanisms generating disparity and diversity, molecular clock information, paleontology, and biogeochemistry is contributing to a better understanding of the current phyletic diversity. Unfortunately, the pattern of the metazoan tree of life still shows some important gaps in knowledge. It is the aim of this article to review some of the most important issues related to the inference of the metazoan tree, and point towards possible ways of solving certain obscure aspects in the history of animal evolution. A new hypothesis of the metazoan diversification during the Cambrian explosion is proposed by synthesizing ideas from phylogenetics, molecular evolution, paleontology, and developmental biology.     

Advanced Cambrian hydroid fossils (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) extend the medusozoan evolutionary history

Primitive cnidarians are crucial for elucidating the early evolution of metazoan body plans and life histories in the late Neoproterozoic and Palaeozoic. The highest complexity of both evolutionary aspects within cnidarians is found in extant hydrozoans. Many colonial hydrozoans coated with chitinous exoskeletons have the potential to form fossils; however, only a few fossils possibly representing hydroids have been reported, which still require scrutiny. Here, we present an exceptionally well-preserved hydroid found in the Upper Cambrian Fengshan Formation in northern China. It was originally interpreted as a problematic graptolite with an uncertain systematic position. Based on three characteristic morphological traits shared with extant hydroids (with paired hydrothecae, regular hydrocaulus internodes and special intrathecal origin pattern of hydrocladium), we propose this fossil hydroid as a new genus, Palaeodiphasia gen. nov., affiliated with the advanced monophyletic hydrozoan clade Macrocolonia typically showing loss of the medusa stage. More Macrocolonia fossils reviewed here indicate that this life strategy of medusa loss has been achieved already as early as the Middle Devonian. The early stratigraphical appearance of such advanced hydroid contrasts with previous molecular hypotheses regarding the timing of medusozoan evolution, and may be indicative for understanding the Ediacaran cnidarian radiation.     

脊椎动物的起源与演化研究进展

脊椎动物的起源与演化历来是进化生命科学的核心命题。近年脊椎动物的起源与演化有重大突破。云南澄江寒武纪化石群中的后口类“皇冠西大动物” ,半索动物“云南虫”和“海口虫” ,尾索动物“始祖长江海鞘” ,头索动物“海口华夏鱼”和“中间型中新鱼” ,脊椎动物“凤姣昆明鱼”和“海口鱼” ,论证了普通无脊椎动物向脊椎动物演化过渡的各种中间类型 ,勾勒出一幅较为完整的早期生命演化谱系。西北大学早期生命研究所舒德干教授基于对靠近脊椎动物“源头”时段软躯体后口动物化石系列的研究以及新的发现提出脊椎动物起源分“五步走”的新假说 ,即在脊椎动物的起源的“四步走”前还有更为原始的“一步” :云南澄江出土的古虫动物门化石很可能代表了原口动物和后口动物间的过渡类型。本文即综述了普通无脊椎动物向脊椎动物演化的研究进展。     

Exceptionally preserved jellyfishes from the Middle Cambrian

Cnidarians represent an early diverging animal group and thus insight into their origin and diversification is key to understanding metazoan evolution. Further, cnidarian jellyfish comprise an important component of modern marine planktonic ecosystems. Here we report on exceptionally preserved cnidarian jellyfish fossils from the Middle Cambrian (approximately 505 million years old) Marjum Formation of Utah. These are the first described Cambrian jellyfish fossils to display exquisite preservation of soft part anatomy including detailed features of structures interpreted as trailing tentacles and subumbrellar and exumbrellar surfaces. If the interpretation of these preserved characters is correct, their presence is diagnostic of modern jellyfish taxa. These new discoveries may provide insight into the scope of cnidarian diversity shortly after the Cambrian radiation, and would reinforce the notion that important taxonomic components of the modern planktonic realm were in place by the Cambrian period.