A problematic animal fossil from the early Cambrian Hetang Formation, South China

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dc.contributor.authorTang, Qingen
dc.contributor.authorHu, Jieen
dc.contributor.authorXie, Guweien
dc.contributor.authorYuan, Xunlaien
dc.contributor.authorWan, Binen
dc.contributor.authorZhou, Cuanmingen
dc.contributor.authorDong, Xuen
dc.contributor.authorCao, Guohuaen
dc.contributor.authorLieberman, Bruce S.en
dc.contributor.authorLeys, Sally P.en
dc.contributor.authorXiao, Shuhaien
dc.contributor.departmentGeosciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2020-01-08T16:39:02Zen
dc.date.available2020-01-08T16:39:02Zen
dc.date.issued2019-11-01en
dc.date.updated2020-01-08T16:38:54Zen
dc.description.abstractThe lower-middle Hetang Formation (Cambrian Stage 2-3) deposited in slope-basinal facies in South China is well known for its preservation of the earliest articulated sponge fossils, providing an important taphonomic window into the Cambrian Explosion. However, the Hetang Formation also hosts a number of problematic animal fossils that have not been systematically described. This omission results in an incomplete picture of the Hetang biota and limits its contribution to the understanding of the early evolution of animals. Here we describe a new animal taxon, Cambrowania ovata Tang and Xiao, new genus new species, from the middle Hetang Formation in the Lantian area of southern Anhui Province, South China. Specimens are preserved as carbonaceous compressions, although some are secondarily mineralized. A comprehensive analysis using reflected light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and micro-CT reveals that the new species is characterized by a spheroidal to fusoidal truss-like structure consisting of rafter-like crossbars, some of which are secondarily baritized and may have been internally hollow. Some specimens have aperture-like structures that are broadly similar to oscula of sponges, whereas others show evidence of a medial split reminiscent of gaping carapaces. While the phylogenetic affinity of Cambrowania ovata Tang and Xiao, n. gen. n. sp. remains problematic, we propose that it may represent carapaces of bivalved arthropods or more likely sponges in early life stages. Along with other problematic metazoan fossils such as hyolithids and sphenothallids, Cambrowania ovata Tang and Xiao, n. gen. n. sp. adds to the diversity of the sponge-dominated Hetang biota in an early Cambrian deepwater slope-basinal environment. UUID: http://zoobank.org/44de9472-7e3f-42d1-9554-7b3434df91d9en
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.extentPages 1047-1057en
dc.format.mediumPrint-Electronicen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2019.26en
dc.identifier.eissn1937-2337en
dc.identifier.issn0022-3360en
dc.identifier.issue6en
dc.identifier.orcidXiao, Shuhai [0000-0003-4655-2663]en
dc.identifier.pmid31631908en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/96330en
dc.identifier.volume93en
dc.languageengen
dc.publisherCambridge University Pressen
dc.relation.urihttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31631908en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectPaleontologyen
dc.subject0403 Geologyen
dc.subject0602 Ecologyen
dc.subject0603 Evolutionary Biologyen
dc.titleA problematic animal fossil from the early Cambrian Hetang Formation, South Chinaen
dc.title.serialJournal of Paleontologyen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.otherJournal Articleen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Scienceen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/All T&R Facultyen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Science/Geosciencesen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Science/COS T&R Facultyen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Techen

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