Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diversification of skeletal microstructures of organisms through the interval from the latest Precambrian to the Early Cambrian

  • Published:
Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Research on early skeletal fossils of southern Shaanxi Province and eastern Yunnan Province shows that the interval from the latest Precambrian to the Early Cambrian was an important period of significant changes in biomineralization of various organisms. The latest Precambrian skeletal fossils, represented byCloudina, are characterized by cone-in-cone structures, relatively high content of organic matter, and various shell shapes with obvious plastic deformation. In the Early Cambrian the skeletal organisms, consisting of phosphatic, carbonate and siliceous minerals, began to appear in great abundance and to distribute widely. Moreover, microstructure of these skeletal organisms appeared to have been diversified, for example, main types of recent molluscan microstructures, such as prismatic, lamello-fibrillar and regular foliated structures, were already developed at that time; fibrous structures further diversified, such as lamello-fibrillas indicative of mollusks and fibre bundles of hyoliths; there were at least two layers in a shell. This shows that biologically controlled biomineralization had played the main role in the Early Cambrian and it laid a key foundation for formation of the true shell of diverse invertebrates, giving rise to the “Cambrian explosion”.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Runnegar, B., Bengtson, S., Origin of hard parts—Early skeletal fossils, in Major Events in History of Life, Palaeobiology: A Synthesis (eds. Derek, E. G. B., Peter, R. C.), Crowther: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1990, 24–29.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bengtson, S., Conway, M. S., Early radiation of biomineralizing phyla, in Origin and Early Evolution of the Metazoa (eds. Lipp, J. H., Singor, P. W.), New York: Plenum Press, 1992, 447–481.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Runnegar, B., Shell mictostructures of Cambrian molluscs replicated by phosphate, Alcheringa, 1985, 9: 245–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Bengtson, S., Conway, M. S., Cooper, B. J. et al., Early Cambrian fossils from South Australia, Memoirs of the Associations of Australasian Palaeontologists, 1990, 9: 1–364.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chen, Z., Sun, W. G., Late Sinian (tubular) Metazoan fossils:Cloudina andSinotubulites from southern Shaanxi, Acta Micropalaeontologica Sinica (in Chinese), 2001, 18(2): 180–202.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Feng, W. M., Sun, W. G., Qian, Y., Skeletalization characters, classification and evolutionary significance of Early Cambrian monoplacophoran maikhanellids, Acta Palaenotologica Sinica (in Chinese), 2001, 40(2): 195–213.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Feng, W. M., Mu, X. N., Kouchinsky, A. V., Hyolith-type microstructure in a mollusc-like fossil from the Early Cambrian of Yunnan, China, Lethaia, 2001, 34: 305–309.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kouchinsky, A. V., Skeletal microstructures of hyoliths from the Early Cambrian of Siberia, Alcheringa, 2000, 24: 65–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Kouchinsky, A. V., Shell microstructure in Early Cambrian mollusks, Acta Paleontologica Polonica, 2000, 45: 119–150.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Riding, R., CalcifiedPlectonema (blue-green algae), a recent example ofGirvanella from Aldabra Atoll, Palaeontology, 1977, 20: 33–46.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Sun, W. G., Early multicellular fossils, in Early Life on Earth (ed. Bengtson, S.), New York: Nobel Symposium 84 Columbia U. P., 1994, 369–385.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Li, C., Chen, J. Y., Precambrian sponges with cellular structures, Science, 1998, 279: 879–882.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Xiao, S. H., Knoll, A. H., Zhang, Y., Three-dimensional preservation of algae and animal embryos in a Neoproterozoic phosphorite, Nature, 1998, 391: 553–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Tayor, M., Precambrian mollusk-like fossils from Inyo County, California, Science, 1966, 153: 198–201.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Tang, T., Zhang, J., Jiang, X., Discovery and significance of the Late Sinian fauna from western Hunan and Hubei, Journal of Stratigraphy (in Chinese), 1978, 2(1): 32–45.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Xue, Y. S., Tang, T. F., Yu, C. L., Discovery of oldest skeleton fossils from Upper Sinian Doushantuo Formation in Weng’an Guizhou, and its significance, Acta Palaeontologica Sinica (in Chinees), 1992, 31(5): 530–539.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Glaessner, M. F., The Dawn of Animal Life, A Biohistorical Study, Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1984, 1–244.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hahn, G., Pflug, H. D., Die Cloudinidae n. fam., Kall-Rohron aus dem Vendium und Unter-Kambrium, Senckenbergiana Lethaia, 1985, 65: 413–431.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Signor, P. W., McMenamia, M. A. S., Gevintzman, D. A. et al., Two new Pre-trilobite fauna from western North America, Nature, 1983, 303: 415–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Grant, S. W. F., Shell structure and distribution ofCloudina, a potential index fossil for the terminal Proterozoic, American Journal of Science, 1990, 290-A: 261–294.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Conway, M. S., Mattes, B. W., Chen, M., The early skeletal organismCloudina: New occurrences from Oman and possibly China, American Journal of Science, 1990, 290-A: 245–260.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Zhang, L. Y., Dong, J. S., Tian, S. H. et al., The Gaojiashan biota, in The Study of the Late Sinian-Early Cambrian Biota from the Northern Margin of Yangtze Platform (in Chinese) (eds. Ding. L., Zhang, L., Dong, J. et al.), Beijing: Beijing Science and Technology Publishing House, 1992, 33–64.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Bengtson, S., Yue, Z., Predatorial borings in Late Precambrian mineralized exoskeletons, Science, 1992, 257: 367–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Chen, M. E., Wang, Y. Z., Note on the tubular metazoan fossils from the Dengying Formation of the Upper Sinian System in the Gorge District of the Yangtze River, Chinese Science Bulletin (in Chinese), 1977, 22: 4–5.

    Google Scholar 

  25. McMenamin, M. A. S., Basal Cambrian small shelly fossils from the La Cienega Formation, northwestern Sonora, Mexico, Journal of Paleontology, 1985, 59: 1414–1425.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Signor, P. W., Mount, J. F., Onken, B. R., A pre-trilobite shelly fauna from the White-Inyo region of eastern California and western Nevada, Journal of Paleontology, 1987, 61: 425–438.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Runnegar, B., The evolution of mineral skeletons, in Origin, Evolution, and Modern Aspects of Biomineralization in Plants and Animals (ed. Rex, E. C.), New York: Plenum Press, 1989, 75–94.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Kouchinsky, A. V., Shell microstructures of the Early CambrianAnabarella andWatsonella as new evidence on the origin of the Rostroconchia, Lethaia, 1999, 32: 173–180.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Missarzhevsky, V. V., The oldest skeletal fossils and stratigraphy of Precambrian and Cambrian boundary beds, Trudy Geologicheskogo Instituta Akademii Nauk SSSR (in Russian), 1989, 443: 1–237.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Brasier, M. D., Palaeoceanography and changes in the biological cycling of phosphorus across the Precambrian— Cambrian boundary, in Origin and Early Evolution of the Metazoa (eds. Lipps, J. H., Signor, P. W.), New York: Plenum Press, 1992, 483–523.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Thomas, R. D., Shearman, R. M., Stewart, G. W., Evolutionary exploitation of design options by the first animals with hard skeletons, Science, 2000, 288: 1239–1242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. McMenamin, M. A. S., McMenamin, D. S., The emergence of animals, in The Cambrian Breakthrough, New York: Columbia University Press, 1989, 1–217.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Yu, W., Yangtze micromolluscan fauna in Yangtze Region of China with notes on Precambrian—Cambrian boundary, in Stratigraphy and Palaeontology of Systemic Boundaries in China, Precambrian—Cambrian Boundary (1), Nanjing: Nanjing University Press, 1987, 19–344.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Peel, J. S., The Classes Tergomya and Helcionelloida, and early molluscan evolution, in functional morphology, evolution and systematics of early Paleozoic univalved molluscs, Bull. Gronlands Geol. Unders, 1991, 161: 11–66.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Bengtson, S., The cap-shaped Cambrian fossilMaikhanella and the relationship between coeloscleritophorans and molluscs, Lethaia, 1992, 25: 401–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Conway, M. S., Peel, J. S., Articulated halkieriids from the lower Cambrian of North Greenland and their role in early protostome evolution, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B., 1995, 347: 305–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Lindsay, J. F., Brasier, M. D., Shields, G. et al., Glacial facies associations in a Neoproterozoic back-arc setting, Zavkhan Basin, western Mongolia, Geological Magazine, 1996, 133: 391–402.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Khomentovsky, V. V., Gibsher, A. S., The Neoproterozoic-lower Cambrian in northern Govi-Altay, western Mongolia: Regional setting, lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy, Geological Magazine, 1996, 133: 371–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Feng, W. M., Qian, Y., Rong, Z. Q., Study of Monoplacophora and Gastropoda from the lower Cambrian Xinji Formation in Yexian, Henan, Acta Micropalaeontologica Sinica (in Chinese), 1994, 11(1): 1–19.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Dzik, J., Evolution of “small shelly fossils” assemblages of the early Paleozoic, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 1994, 39(3): 27–313.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, NIGPAS, 210008, Nanjing, China

    Weimin Feng, Zhe Chen & Weiguo Sun

Authors
  1. Weimin Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhe Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Weiguo Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Weimin Feng.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Feng, W., Chen, Z. & Sun, W. Diversification of skeletal microstructures of organisms through the interval from the latest Precambrian to the Early Cambrian. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 46, 977–985 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02959392

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02959392

Keywords

Search

Navigation