Bryophyte-like Fossil （Parafunaria sinensis） from Early-Middle Cambrian Kaili Formation in Guizhou Province, China

Abundant well-preserved animal and macroalgal fossils were discovered in the Early-MiddleCambrian Kaili Formation of Taijiang County, Guizhou Province, China, which constitute the Kaili Biota,named as one of the three important Burgess Shale-type faunas. The bryophyte-like fossil (Parafunariasinensis Yang gen. et sp. nov) was discovered in the horizon of occurrence of Macroalgal fossils. The fossilof P. sinensis possesses typical characters of bryophyte, such as whorled leaves, capsule and seta, andcomplex rhizoid or foot. We infer that the bryophyte-like fossil could be the ancestor of bryophyte. Thediscovery provides a new lead for further study on the origin and evolution of bryophyte or land plant.