Wengania globosa在陕西勉县茶店陡山沱组磷块岩中的发现

本文报道陕西勉县茶店陡山沱组磷块岩中的疑源多细胞生物化石,其中Ｗｅｎｇａｎｉａｇｌｏｂｏｓａ属于首次报道。勉县茶陡山组磷块岩中的化石组合与贵州瓮安陡山沱组与可以直接对比,进一步了此两地的磷块岩属同期沉积产物。这一发现表明新元古代磷块岩中可能保存了多细胞生物早期演化中最精采的章节,因而进一步深入研究陡山沱组磷块岩大有必要。本文还讨论了疑在Ｍｅｇｈｙｓｔｒｉｃｈｏｓｐｈａｅｒｉｄｉｕｍ ｃｈａｄｉａｎ     

湖北宜昌樟村坪埃迪卡拉纪陡山沱组磷酸盐化微体化石组合

保存于华南新元古代晚期陡山沱组中的磷酸盐化化石被认为与后生动物起源、真核生物演化有重要联系。位于鄂西黄陵隆起北缘的樟村坪地区,是华南最重要的工业磷矿产地之一,主要磷矿层属于埃迪卡拉纪地层,却鲜有磷块岩化石报道。此次研究利用钻孔样品的大量连续切片,在陡山沱组磷矿层中发现了丰富的保存精美的微体化石,化石组合包括可能的动物胚胎化石Megasphaera inornata;大型具刺疑源类Appendisphaerasp.,Cymatiosphaeroides kullingii,Dicrospinasphaera sp.,Ericiasphaera magna,Weissiella sp.;多细胞藻类Wengania globosa,W.exquisite,Sarcinophycus papilloformis,Thallophyca sp.,以及球状丝状蓝藻化石Archaeophycus yunnanensis,Cyanonema majus,Salome nunavutensis,Obruchevella minor,Siphonophycus kestron,S.typicum,S.robustum,S.septatum。这些微体化石的发现丰富了该区磷酸盐化化石资料,同时该化石组合面貌与黔中地区陡山沱组上磷块岩"瓮安生物群"以及峡东陡山沱组典型硅化生物群都具有相似性,化石层位的探讨也为华南不同沉积相区陡山沱组的地层对比提供了新的参考依据。     

湖北保康白竹磷矿埃迪卡拉系陡山沱组微体化石新材料

埃迪卡拉纪(震旦纪)是早期多细胞生物起源与辐射的重要地质时期,磷酸盐化保存的微体化石则是研究该时期生命演化的重要窗口。目前对我国扬子地台埃迪卡拉系陡山沱组磷酸盐化微体化石的研究主要集中于贵州瓮安等地,其他地区的研究偏少。本次研究报道了保存于湖北保康白竹磷矿埃迪卡拉系陡山沱组磷块岩的微体化石。这些微体化石以三维磷酸盐化形式保存,种类丰富,共计14属21种,包括大型带刺疑源类Asterocapsoides sp.,Dicrospinasphaera sp.,Knollisphaeridium sp.,Mengeosphaera chadianensis,Tanarium conoideum,T.digi-tiforme,T.pilosiusculum,Tianzhushania sp.;球状化石Megasphaera inornata;球状蓝藻Archaeophycus yunnanensis,丝状蓝藻Cyanonema majus,Obruchevella minor,Salome sp.,Siphonophycus septatum,S.robustum,S.typicum,S.kestron;以及多细胞藻类Gremiphyca corymbiata,Thallophyca ramosa,Wengania exquisita,W.globosa。这些微体化石的发现,进一步丰富了白竹磷矿陡山沱组的化石组合,为华南扬子地台陡山沱组的生物地层对比提供了新的材料。     

湖北宜昌樟村坪陡山沱组微体化石新资料

湖北宜昌樟村坪磷矿陡山沱组化石组合主要包括球状蓝菌Archaeophycus venustus,丝状蓝菌Siphono-phycus,Oscillatoriopsis,Polytrichoides和Salome hubeiensis,以及多细胞藻类化石Wengania和可能的Sarcino-phycus。化石主要产于陡山沱组上部白云岩的硅磷质条带和结核中。樟村坪磷矿陡山沱组化石组合的发现进一步表明华南扬子地区陡山沱组燧石相具有和磷块岩相中类似的化石组合。     

新元古代陡山沱期瓮安生物群研究概况

近年来 ,在中国贵州省中部瓮安磷矿的震旦系陡山沱组磷块岩中发现了一个重要的新元古代化石生物群——瓮安生物群。自 1 986年至今 ,我国古生物学者相继在国内外重要刊物上发表了有关该化石生物群的论文 2 0余篇。该化石生物群主要包括底栖的多细胞藻类、蓝藻和细菌化石 ;浮游的大型带刺疑源类化石及一些可疑的动物化石。描述的属种已超过 50个 ,虽然其中部分动物化石的亲缘关系值得再深入的研究 ,但这个在磷块岩中立体保存且属种丰富的化石生物群将为新元古代生物多样性和早期生命多细胞化的研究提供极有价值的化石资料。     

贵州埃迪卡拉纪瓮安生物群化石含量的统计分析

贵州瓮安埃迪卡拉纪陡山沱组（635-551Ma）上磷矿段保存了大量精美的磷酸盐化微体球粒化石,它们主要由多细胞藻类、疑源类和处于不同发育阶段的多种动物胚胎化石组成,此外还包括少量后生动物的幼、成体化石。本文以贵州瓮福磷矿陡山沱组上磷矿段灰白色球粒状白云质磷块岩为研究对象,在总结瓮安生物群中不同生物化石的鉴别特征基础上,定量统计采自该层位的两组岩石样品（WA—I和WA-r1）的酸处理砂样中的所有化石。统计结果表明,瓮安陡山沱组该磷块岩中化石质量和岩石中磷酸盐组分质量成正线性相关,两个样品中化石占全部磷酸盐组分的质量百分比均在10％左右,其中多细胞藻类和疑源类化石占全部化石含量均少于10％。这一结果客观地反映了瓮安生物群的化石丰度,证实了保存在瓮安陡山沱组上磷矿段灰色富氧含磷埋藏相中的瓮安生物群主要由动物胚胎化石组成的特征。     

江西上饶朝阳磷矿新元古代晚期陡山沱组微体化石新材料

江西上饶朝阳磷矿新元古代晚期微体化石产于上震旦统陡山沱组上部含磷地层中,微体化石组合包括疑源类Asterocapsoides sp.,Megasphaera inornata,Meghystrichosphaeridium chadianensis,M.gracilentum,丝状蓝绿藻Siphonophycus septatum,S.robustum,S.tpicum,S.kestron,S.soldium,Oscillatoriopsis sp.和Slome nunavutensis,及可能的多细胞藻类。该化石组合的发现为中国南方扬子区陡山沱组含磷岩系中微体化石生物群的研究提供新的材料。     

论陡山沱组的年代

三峡地区震旦系的三层式地层结构 (冰积层 ,陡山沱组特色的大型带刺疑源类组合层 ,埃迪卡拉生物化石层 )在世界其它地区是常见的。通过生物和化学地层对比我们认为陡山沱组及其化石组合层是在马雷诺恩 ( Marinoan)冰期之后、埃迪卡拉生物群分异之前沉积的。根据这一地层对比方案以及西伯利亚、纳米比亚和阿瓦龙半岛 ( Avalon Peninsula)新元古代地层的精确放射性同位素测年资料 ,陡山沱组的沉积年龄很可能在五亿五千万年至六亿年之间。这一估计要新于以前发表的铷锶法或钾氩法测定的陡山沱组黑色页岩或海绿石年龄。更精确地估算陡山沱组的沉积年龄还有待于在陡山沱组地层中发现火山灰以及对火山灰的精确年龄测定 ,但我们根据地层对比估算的陡山沱组年龄 ,为评估庙河和瓮安陡山沱组生物群的演化意义提供了必要的地层框架。     

湖北峡东地区九龙湾剖面震旦系陡山沱组微体化石的新发现

中国南方扬子地台震旦系陡山沱组产出丰富的微体化石,它们主要保存在磷块岩以及燧石结核和条带中。文章详细报道湖北峡东地区九龙湾剖面震旦系陡山沱组微体化石,描述以前未曾在峡东地区碳酸盐相燧石中发现的8属8种微体化石。研究九龙湾剖面陡山沱组大型带刺疑源类、微体多细胞藻类和动物胚胎化石的分布特征,发现Tianzhushania spinosa是最早出现的大型带刺疑源类分子,大冰期后微体生物的辐射是一个阶段性渐进的过程。同时．本项研究进一步证实华南扬子区陡山沱组碳酸盐相燧石和磷块岩地层中保存的微体化石面貌基本一致。     

是胚胎还是藻类？：兼答薛耀松,周传明,唐天福先生

贵州瓮安陡山沱组磷块岩中所产的球状微体化石曾被薛耀松等 ( Xue et al.,1 995)解释为团藻类化石 ,最近被重新解释为早期动物休眠卵和胚胎化石 ( Xiao et al.,1 998)。薛耀松等 ( Xue etal.,1 998;下称薛文 )对动物休眠卵 -胚胎的解释提出六点不同看法 ,并坚持认为这些球状微体化石应为团藻类化石。本文对薛文中所提六点看法进行逐条解答 ,并着重讨论了球状微体化石的大小和丰度 ,磷酸盐化“细胞壁”,生物软体的磷酸盐化过程 ,以及团藻类的生理和生殖特点和陡山沱球状微体化石的不同特征。事实上 ,陡山沱组磷酸盐化动物休眠卵和现代某些甲壳类体眠卵在外表装饰上几乎雌雄难辨 ,陡山沱组球状微体化石的大小、发育过程、卵裂形式以及外层包膜的存在也和动物胚胎的解释相吻合。显然 ,动物休眠卵 -胚胎仍然是对陡山沱球状微体化石的最佳解释。     

疑源类Tianzhushania在贵州瓮安震旦纪陡山沱组磷块岩中的发现

首次报道贵州瓮安地区震旦系陡山沱组磷块岩中的大型具刺凝源类Tianzhushania spinosa及其新种Tianzhushania tuberifera sp.nov.前者形态特征及内部结构与湖北峡尔地区震旦系陡山沱组隧石结核中发现的典型Tianzhushania spinosa 标本（硅化）完全相同,但多数未遭受重力挤压呈球形保存。新种特征明显,也呈球形保存,但内层表面具有明显瘤突,瘤突顶端向外延伸出单一或多条管状制,另外还探讨大型具刺疑源类Tianzhushania属的特征,已定种的地理分布,地层意义和亲缘关系。     

Three-Dimensional Phosphatic Preservation Of Giant Acritarchs From The Terminal Proterozoic Doushantuo Formation In Guizhou And Hubei Provinces, South China

During the last two decades, a diverse assemblage of multicellular algae, spherical microfossils, bacteria and cyanobacteria (the Weng'an Biota) has been reported from the Terminal Proterozoic Doushantuo phosphorite in south China, which provides an important window for evolutionary studies of multicellular life just before the Ediacaran animal radiation. In this paper we report on three-dimensionally preserved acritarchs from the Doushantuo phosphorites at Weng'an in Guizhou Province and, for the first time, from Baokang in Hubei Province. Our assemblage contains species of the genus Meghystrichosphaeridium Zhang, Yin, Xiao and Knoll, 1998 non Chen and Liu, 1986 including M. chadianensis (Chen and Liu) Zhang, Yin, Xiao and Knoll, emend. 1998, and M. reticulatum Xiao and Knoll, 1999; the genus Echinosphaeridium Knoll, 1992 including the species E. maximum (Yin) Knoll, 1992; the new genus Bacatisphaera including the new species B. baokangensis and the new genus Castaneasphaera including the new species C. speciosa . The latter shows a marked resemblance to similarly preserved phosphatized Palaeozoic acritarchs called 'mazuelloids', consistent with a phytoplanktonic mode of life for the global Doushantuo/Pertatataka microflora (DPM).     

扬子区晚震旦世动物化石新材料

扬子区晚震旦世地层中已有多种类型的动物及遗迹化石的报道。文中补充了不同地区和层位的骨骼及遗迹化石新材料,包括：江西上饶王家院陡山沱组顶部磷块岩中的磷酸盐化“十”字形骨针和云南晋宁王家湾灯影组上段隧石条带中的单轴双射硅质骨针,它们可能分属于钙质海绵和普通海绵类;贵州瓮安陡山沱组上段磷质白云岩中的可疑壳状化石;宜昌三斗坪金瓜墩陡山沱组下部（第二段）遗迹化石;瓮安陡山沱组上段及湖北南漳灯影组上段底部磷质硬底中的生物扰动构造。另外还报道了贵州清镇桃子冲剖面桃子冲组最底部的瓶状动物（Pro-tolagena limbata）化石,并认定桃子冲组与灯影组之间为假整合接触,其底界并无跨入震旦系的证据。     

Fossil preservation in the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo phosphorite Lagerstätte, South China

Phosphorites of the late Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation exposed in the vicinity of Weng'an, Guizhou Province, and Chadian, Shaanxi Province, South China, contain exceptionally well-preserved algal thalli, acritarchs, and globular microfossils interpreted as animal embryos. Combined optical microscopic and SEM observations provide insights into the taphonomy of phosphatized fossils. Algal cells and tissues are variably resistant to decay, and within preserved populations permineralization began at varying stages of degradation. In consequence, there is a spectrum of quality in cellular preservation. Algal cell walls, acritarch vesicles, and embryo envelopes are commonly encrusted by an isopachous rim of apatite, with cell interiors filled by collophane and later diagenetic dolomite. In contrast, blastomere surfaces of animal embryos are encrusted primarily by minute phosphatic spherules and filaments, possibly reflecting an immediately postmortem infestation of bacteria that provided nucleation sites for phosphate crystal growth. Thus, the same processes that gave rise to Phanerozoic phosphatized Lagerstätten - phosphatic encrustation, and impregnation, probably mediated by microbial activity - effected soft-tissue preservation in the Doushantuo Lagerstätte. It remains unclear how phosphatic ions and organic macro-molecules interact at the molecular level and to what extent specific microbial metabolisms or microenvironmental conditions control the phosphatization of soft tissues. New observations of phosphatized Doushantuo fossils include: a second locality (Chadian) for Wengania globosa , interpreted as an algal thallus and previously known only from Weng'an; microtunnels in Weng'an phosphorites interpreted as pyrite trails; and new taxa described from Weng'an: Meghystrichosphaeridium reticulatum (acritarch), Sarcinophycus radiatus (algal thallus), and one unnamed problematic form.     

Fossil preservation in the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo phosphorite Lagerstatte, South China.

Phosphorites of the late Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation exposed in the vicinity of Weng'an, Guizhou Province, and Chadian, Shaanxi Province, South China, contain exceptionally well-preserved algal thalli, acritarchs, and globular microfossils interpreted as animal embryos. Combined optical microscopic and SEM observations provide insights into the taphonomy of phosphatized fossils. Algal cells and tissues are variably resistant to decay, and within preserved populations permineralization began at varying stages of degradation. In consequence, there is a spectrum of quality in cellular preservation. Algal cell walls, acritarch vesicles, and embryo envelopes are commonly encrusted by an isopachous rim of apatite, with cell interiors filled by collophane and later diagenetic dolomite. In contrast, blastomere surfaces of animal embryos are encrusted primarily by minute phosphatic spherules and filaments, possibly reflecting an immediately postmortem infestation of bacteria that provided nucleation sites for phosphate crystal growth. Thus, the same processes that gave rise to Phanerozoic phosphatized Lagerstatten--phosphatic encrustation, and impregnation, probably mediated by microbial activity--effected soft-tissue preservation in the Doushantuo Lagerstatte. It remains unclear how phosphatic ions and organic macromolecules interact at the molecular level and to what extent specific microbial metabolisms or microenvironmental conditions control the phosphatization of soft tissues. New observations of phosphatized Doushantuo fossils include: a second locality (Chadian) for Wengania globosa, interpreted as an algal thallus and previously known only from Weng'an; microtunnels in Weng'an phosphorites interpreted as pyrite trails; and new taxa described from Weng'an: Meghystrichosphaeridium reticulatum (acritarch), Sarcinophycus radiatus (algal thallus), and one unnamed problematic form.     

Phosphatized multicellular algae in the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation, China, and the early evolution of florideophyte red algae

Phosphatic sediments of the Late Neoproterozoic (ca. 600 million years old [Myr]) Doushantuo Formation at Weng'an, South China, contain fossils of multicellular algae preserved in anatomical detail. As revealed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, these fossils include both simple pseudoparenchymatous thalli with apical growth but no cortex-medulla differentiation and more complex thalli characterized by cortex-medulla differentiation and structures interpretable as carposporophytes, suggesting a multiphasic life cycle. Simple pseudoparenchymatous thalli, represented by Wengania, Gremiphyca, and Thallophycoides, are interpreted as stem group florideophytes. In contrast, complex pseudoparenchymatous thalli, such as Thallophyca and Paramecia, compare more closely to fossil and living corallinaleans than to other florideophyte orders, although they also differ in some important aspects (e.g., lack of biocalcification). These more complex thalli are interpreted as early stem group corallinaleans that diverged before Paleozoic stem groups such as Arenigiphyllum, Petrophyton, Graticula, and Archaeolithophyllum. This phylogenetic interpretation implies that (1) the phylogenetic divergence between the Florideophyceae and its sister group, the Bangiales, must have taken place before Doushantuo time-an inference supported by the occurrence of bangialean fossils in Mesoproterozoic rocks; (2) the initial diversification of the florideophytes occurred no later than the Doushantuo time; and (3) the corallinalean clade had a "soft" (uncalcified) evolutionary history in the Neoproterozoic before evolving biocalcification in the Paleozoic and undergoing crown group diversification in the Mesozoic.     

Multicellular thallophytes with differentiated tissues from Late Proterozoic phosphate rocks of South China

An assemblage of megascopic, multicellular thallophytes with well-preserved tissues and microstructures was discovered in phosphate rocks of the Late Proterozoic Doushantuo Formation (approximately 680 Ma old) at the Wengan-Fuquan Phosphate Mines, Guizhou Province, South China. Two new genera and three new species are erected: Thallophyca ramosa n. gen. et n. sp., Thallophyca simplica n. gen. et n. sp. and Wengania globosa n. gen. et n. sp. The thalli of Thallophyca are embedded in amorphous collophane and consist of differentiated tissues interpreted as cortex and medulla, and distinct structures (conceptacle-like cavities and special cell-groups or 'cell-islands'). Tissue differentiation and megascopic (millimetric to centrimetric) size of the thalli suggest that the new genus Thallophyca may represent a primitive metaphyte. The new genus Wengania is assigned to the Paleozoic algal group Solenoporaceae Pia. This study provides reliable fossil evidence of Late Proterozoic metaphytes and leads to the following conclusions: (1) diverse multicellular thallophytes had evolved during Late Proterozoic Ediacaran time; (2) adaptive radiations possibly took place more or less contemporaneously in both metazoans and metaphytes, and (3) Precambrian phosphate rocks can preserve megafossils with delicate microstructures.     

Diverse small spinose acritarchs from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, South China

The Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation in South China is underlain by the Cryogenian Nantuo Formation (glacial rocks) and overlain by the late Ediacaran Dengying Formation. It is characterized by well-preserved, large (normally >100 μm in size) spinose acritarchs (LSAs), which have been shown to be probably the only useful biostratigraphic tool for the global correlation of the early- and middle-Ediacaran. Acritarchs are organic microfossils normally known as single-celled eukaryotic organisms (protists). Although recent research suggests that some large spinose acritarchs may represent diapause egg cysts of metazoans, the biological affinities of the Ediacaran spinose acritarchs, especially for those displaying remarkable size ranges, are still debatable.Recently, smaller specimens of the Ediacaran spinose acritarchs have been found in cherts and phosphorites of the Doushantuo Formation in South China. Many described Ediacaran spinose acritarch taxa display large size variation (from tens to hundreds of microns in vesicle diameter), but some taxa only have smaller (<70 μm) specimens. The morphological comparison with Paleozoic counterparts indicates that some Ediacaran spinose acritarchs may have phylogenetic affinity to eukaryotic algae. More evidence, including wall ultra-structure, geochemical analysis and comparison with modern analogs, is needed to understand the biological affinity of the Ediacaran spinose acritarchs. The remarkable radiation of planktonic protists, characterized by abundant, diverse spinose acritarchs, occurred as early as in the late Neoproterozoic, i.e., 40–60 million years earlier than previously thought.     

A New Microphytoplankton Species from the Sinian of Western Hubei Province

An organic-walled microphytoplankton species, Comasphaeridium Magnum sp. nov., recently discovered in petrographic thin scctions of the Doushantuo Formation (Late Sinian, about 700 Ma old) of western Hubei Province, South China are described here. This discovery supplements our understanding of the Doushantuo microblota, and shows that the Doushantuo Formation is the lowest stratigraphic position of the genus Comasphaeridium Staplin, Jansonius and Pocock so far known in the world.