Exceptionally preserved brachiopods from the Chengjiang Lagerst（a｜¨）tte（Yunnan,China）：Perspectives on the Cambrian explosion of metazoans

The Cambrian explosion was coined to describe the geologically sudden appearance of numerous bilaterian body plans（Phyla）around the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition,around 565-520million years ago.Many explanations and conjectures have been postulated in order to explain the pattern and duration of this explosive radiation of many different phyla of early metazoans.Here,we focus on the evolution of a phylum of marine suspension-feeding animals—the brachiopods,as exemplified by the exceptionally preserved taxa from the celebrated Chengjiang Konservat Lagerst（a｜¨）tte（Yunnan,China）.The abundant soft-bodied preservation at these fossil quarries gives us the only firm insights into what brachiopods looked like and how they functioned and lived when they first appeared on the Earth.Studies of Chengjiang brachiopods demonstrate that the early animals developed a remarkably varied organization of tissues and organs shortly after the onset of Cambrian explosion.In the marine suspension-feeding brachiopods,most importantly the tentaculate feeding structure of early brachiopods is already differentiated into two shapes of lophophore,anteriorly coiled（spiralled）and posteriorly arching tentacle crowns and the unique latter type was previously not documented from fossil and living brachiopods.Also unlike any known Recent brachiopod,all the known Cambrian brachiopods from Chengjiang have an open digestive tract that was disposed either as a Ushaped gut in linguliform and stem group brachiopods,or straight gut with a posterior anus in some calcareous-shelled stocks.Moreover,in contrast toliving lingulids,all the Cambrian brachiopods have an epibenthic lifestyle either cemented by a ventral valve or attached by variable pedicles to establish complex ecological community encompassing primary tierers and variable secondary tierers.It is therefore assumed that brachiopods were the first benthic metazoan that achieved their success in ecological stratification and tiering complexity by late Atdabanian.The setae are also important for the brachiopod suspension-feeding life style,and in the Chengjiang braehiopods they include two types cilia-like and spine-like setae.The mantle canals of different braehiopod species are also distinctly variable in arrangement,mainly disposed in pinnate,baeulate and peripheral conditions.Of these,the peripheral disposition of mantle canals is for the first time proposed here so as to differentiate from the bifurcate condition in recent lingulids in that the former is devoid of posteriorly extending main trunks of sinus,but possesses a diverging dorsal vascula media in dichotomy.     

灌县九甸坪上古生界地层剖面及岩石地层单位的划分

四川灌县九甸坪剖面横切龙门山的懒板凳飞来峰。文章根据岩石特征、古生物特征对该剖面进行了岩石地层单位的划分，从中识别出下泥盆统甘溪组、上泥盆统茅坝组及下石炭统总长沟组，并与邻区相应地层进行了对比。     

论扬子蛤(Yangtzedonta)与带壳软体动物早期演化

证实扬子蛤属（Yangtzedonta Yu,1985)和它的模式种原始扬子蛤（Y.primitiva Yu,1985)所依赖的模式标本是一块先锋贝（Xianfengella He et Yang,1982)的破碎标本。根据古生物命名优先律,属名Yangtzedonta和它的模式种Y.primitiva Yu(1985)应予废除。Xianfengella的腹壳两侧对称,表明它不具有双壳类的特征。目前真正的最古老的双壳类是Xianfengoconcha elliptica Zhang,发现于我国早寒武世筇竹寺期。最古老的喙壳类是Heraultipegma yunnanensis H e et Yang,出现于早寒武世梅树村期第Ⅲ期合带。而最古老的单板类是Maikhanella pristinis(Jiang),发现于梅树村期第Ⅰ组合带。从壳体形态特征、组织结构、生长方式、地层中出现先后顺序等方面论述双壳类是由喙壳类分支演化而来,喙壳类由单板类分支演化而来,从而否定了双壳类、喙壳类、单板类在寒武纪之初同时出现和并列演化的模式。     

一个罕见的奥陶纪末期深水腕足动物群在浙江杭州余杭的发现

奥陶纪末赫南特期(Hirnantian)以北非为中心的大陆冰川形成, 全球海平面大幅下降, 凉浅水海域广泛分布, 底栖无脊椎动物群与前赫南特期(pre-Hirnantian)的面貌迥异. 截止目前, 所报道的赫南特期化石群基本上属于较浅水的产物, 而深水底栖生物群还鲜为人知. 最近, 笔者在浙江省杭州市余杭镇安乐村旁狮子山堰口组上部泥岩中, 发现一个以腕足动物-三叶虫占优势的底栖化石群, 将其命名为Leangella-Dalmanitina(Songxites)组合, 其时代宜确定为奥陶纪末期. 通过动物群的对比和群落生态分析, 推测该组合可能栖息于BA5的底域生态位. 本区Leangella-Dalmanitina(Songsites)组合与世界广布的Hirnantia-Dalmanitina动物群尽管生存时代相近, 但主要生态域不同, 面貌组分差别很大. 研究表明: (1) 奥陶纪末期从赣西北到浙北可能发育从浅斜坡向深斜坡过渡的海底栖息环境; (2) 深水相环境是奥陶纪末大灭绝首幕之后底栖腕足类幸存的一个关键场所.     

黔北志留纪早期枝线贝类介壳层的时空分布和风暴沉积特征

上扬子区下志留统灰岩中发育良好的与海洋风暴事件相关的腕足动物枝线贝类介壳层. 它见于黔北香树园组近顶部或石牛栏组上部, 由2个昙花一现的浅海土著分子拟壳房贝属 (Paraconchidium)或小枝线贝属(Virgianella)以不同比例混合、非原始正常栖居方式的碎壳与灰泥共同堆积而成. 单层厚度少则仅数十厘米, 多则达4 m多. 其中的壳体皆遭遇过高能水流强烈搅动, 特别是较薄的腹壳前部和背壳, 更是破损严重, 其形成的主要动力是风暴和海岸线形状共同导致的增水作用; 据相关群落的生态位(BA2下部至BA3上部)推测, 它们是近岸浅海风暴作用的产物, 介壳的破碎及其堆积的疏密程度反映了近源和远源风暴成因. 志留纪时处于南低纬度的黔北海域, 在广海强水团到达时, 加剧的能量强烈地波及到枝线贝类群落栖居的深度. 多数介壳滩被风暴反复冲淘, 推测其堆积时间可达数万年.     

海南岛金波地区发现杜内早期腕足动物群

白沙县金波附近的Spirifercf.,subgrandisRotai ,Neospirifersp .,Fuselacf.tornacensis (Koninck) ,Punc tospirifersp .,Mucrospirifersp .,Eumetriacfserpentina (Koninck) ,Palaeochoristiessp .,Megachonetessp .,Pli chonetessp .,Orthotetessp .,Chonetipustulasp .,Marginatiasp .,Curithyrissp .,Rhipidomellasp .是海南岛首次发现的最丰富的杜内早期腕足动物群。据此 ,该地区含化石的原南好组第四段确定为下石炭统岩关阶。该动物群以石燕贝类最繁盛、长身贝类数量少为特征 ,与华南其它地区同期腕足动物群不同