Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T05:01:34.240Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Lower Cambrian halkieriids and other coeloscleritophorans from Aksu-Wushi, Xinjiang, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2016

S. Conway Morris  and
A. J. Chapman
S. Conway Morris
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, U. K.
A. J. Chapman
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, U. K.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Halkieriids are known largely from isolated sclerites, although it is understood that originally they formed the scleritomes of slug-like animals in Lower Cambrian benthic environments. The Yurtus Formation (?Tommotian–Atdabanian equivalent) of the Aksu-Wushi area, west Xinjiang, China, has yielded abundant sclerites. These are secondarily phosphatized, but show considerable detail. The sclerites can be divided into three classes: cultrates, long palmates, and short palmates; definite siculates have not been recognized. In some samples elongate to semicircular shells co-occur with the sclerites; these may derive from the same halkieriid scleritome. The external surface of the shells may bear a subdued ornamentation. The concave interior, however, is remarkable on account of a unique structure consisting of a group of nodular-like units. These may be arranged in a low cone or dispersed in a small circle. In addition to the sclerites of halkieriids and their possibly associated shells, rarer material is attributable to the related group of siphogonuchitids.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 71 , Issue 1 , January 1997 , pp. 6 - 22
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bengtson, S. 1985. Taxonomy of disarticulated fossils. Journal of Paleontology, 59:1350–1358.Google Scholar
Bengtson, S. 1992. The cap-shaped Cambrian fossil Maikhanella and the relationship between coeloscleritophorans and molluscs. Lethaia, 25:401–420.Google Scholar
Bengtson, S., and Conway Morris, S. 1984. A comparative study of Lower Cambrian Halkieria and Middle Cambrian Wiwaxia. Lethaia, 17:307–329.Google Scholar
Bengtson, S., Conway Morris, S., Cooper, B. J., Jell, P., and Runnegar, B. 1990. Early Cambrian fossils from South Australia. Memoirs of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists, 9:1–364.Google Scholar
Bengtson, S., and Missarzhevksy, V.V. 1981. Coeloscleritophora—a major group of enigmatic Cambrian metazoans. p. 19–21. In Taylor, M. E. (ed.), Short Papers for the Second International Symposium on the Cambrian System 1981. United States Geological Survey, Open-File Report, 81–743.Google Scholar
Brasier, M. D. 1989. Towards a biostratigraphy of the earliest skeletal biotas, p. 117–165. In Cowie, J. W. and Brasier, M. D. (eds.), The Precambrian–Cambrian Boundary. Clarendon, Oxford.Google Scholar
Butterfield, N. J. 1990. A reassessment of the enigmatic Burgess Shale fossil Wiwaxia corrugata (Matthew) and its relationship to the polychaete Canadia spinosa Walcott. Paleobiology, 16:287–303.Google Scholar
Butterfield, N. J. 1995. Chancelloriids from the Middle Cambrian of the Mackenzie Mountains: Implications for early poriferan evolution. Geological Society of America, Program with Abstracts, 27(6):A269.Google Scholar
Conway Morris, S. 1985. The Middle Cambrian metazoan Wiwaxia corrugata (Matthew) from the Burgess Shale and Ogygopsis Shale, British Columbia, Canada. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London, B307:507–586.Google Scholar
Conway Morris, S. 1993. The fossil record and the early evolution of the Metazoa. Nature, 361:219–225.Google Scholar
Conway Morris, S. 1995. Enigmatic shells, possibly halkieriid, from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale, British Columbia. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen, 195:319–331.Google Scholar
Conway Morris, S., and Peel, J. S. 1990. Articulated halkieriids from the Lower Cambrian of North Greenland. Nature, 345:802–805.Google Scholar
Conway Morris, S., and Peel, J. S. 1995. Articulated halkieriids from the Lower Cambrian of North Greenland and their role in early protostome evolution. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London, B347:305–358.Google Scholar
Conway Morris, S., and Chapman, A. J. 1996. Lower Cambrian coeloscleritophorans (Ninella, Siphogonuchites) from Xinjiang and Shaanxi, China. Geological Magazine, 133:33–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chenghua, Duan, and Bing, Xiao. 1992. Restudy on the stratotype of Yurtus Formation. Bulletin of the Tianjin Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, 26-27:325–352(in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Dzik, J. 1994. Evolution of “small shelly fossil” assemblages. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 39:247–313.Google Scholar
Evans, K. R. 1992. Marocella: Antarctic specimens of an enigmatic Cambrian animal. Journal of Paleontology, 66:558–562.Google Scholar
Zhenjia, Gao, Wuyan, Wang, Changwen, Peng, Yongan, Li, Bing, Xiao, et al. 1985a. The Sinian system on Aksu-Wushi region, Xinjiang, China. Xinjiang People's Publishing House, Urumqi, 184 p. (in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Zhenjia, Gao, Wuyan, Wang, Changwen, Peng, Yongan, Li, Bing, Xiao, et al. 1985b. The Sinian system of Xinjiang (No. 1 stratal summary of Xinjiang). Xinjiang People's Publishing House, Urumqi, 173 p. (in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Zhenjia, Gao, Shaozu, Wu, Yongan, Li, and Jianxin, Qian. 1982. Research on stratigraphy of the Sinian-Cambrian sequences in Aksu-Kalpin region, Xinjiang. K'o hsüeh t'ung pao, 27:524–527.Google Scholar
Hamdi, B. 1989. Stratigraphy and palaeontology of the late Precambrian in the Alborz Mountains, northern Iran. Report Geological Survey of Iran, 59:1–41.Google Scholar
Hamdi, B., Brasier, M. D., and Zhiwen, Jiang. 1989. Earliest skeletal fossils from Precambrian-Cambrian boundary strata, Elburz Mountains, Iran. Geological Magazine, 126:283–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schicheng, Huo, and Degan, Shu. 1985. Cambrian Bradoriida of South China. Northwest University Publishing House, Xian, 251 p. (in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Zhiwen, Jiang. 1980. Monoplacophorans and gastropods fauna of the Meishucun stage from Meishucun section, Yunnan. Acta Geologica Sinica, 1980:112–123(in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Zhiwen, Jiang. 1992. The Lower Cambrian fossil record of China, p. 311–333. In Lipps, J. H. and Signor, P. W. (eds.), Origin and early evolution of the Metazoa. Plenum Press, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Landing, E. 1991. Upper Precambrian through Lower Cambrian of Cape Breton Island: Faunas, paleoenvironments, and stratigraphic revision. Journal of Paleontology, 65:570–595.Google Scholar
Landing, E. 1995. Upper Placentian–Branchian series of mainland Nova Scotia (Middle–Upper Lower Cambrian): Faunas, paleoenvironments, and stratigraphic revision. Journal of Paleontology, 69:475–495.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Landing, E., Myrow, P., Benus, A. P., and Narbonne, G. M. 1989. The Placentian series: appearance of the oldest skeletalized faunas in southeastern Newfoundland. Journal of Paleontology, 63:739–769.Google Scholar
Huilin, Luo, Zhiwen, Jiang, Xiche, Wu, Xueliang, Song, Lin, Ouyang, et al. 1982. The Sinian-Cambrian boundary in eastern Yunnan, China. People's Publishing House, Yunnan, 265 p. (in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Meshkova, N. P. 1969. K voprosu o paleontologicheskoj kharakter-istike nizhekembrijskikh otlozhenij Sibirskoj platformy. [To the question of the paleontological characteristics of the Lower Cambrian sediments of the Siberian platform], p. 158–174. In Zhuravleva, I. T. (ed.), Biostratigraphy and paleontology of the Lower Cambrian of Siberia and the Far East, Nauka, Moscow(in Russian).Google Scholar
Meshkova, N. P. 1974. Cambroscleritida incertae sedis—novyj otryad kembrijskikh iskopaemykh. [Cambroscleritida incertae sedis—new kind of Cambrian fossils], p. 190–193. In Zhuravleva, I. T. and Rozanov, A. Yu. (eds.), Biostratigraphy and palaeontology of the Early Cambrian of Europe and northern Asia, Nauka, Moscow(in Russian).Google Scholar
Missarzhevsky, V. V., and Mambetov, A. M. 1981. Stratigrafiya i fauna pogranichnykh sloev kembriya i dokembriya Malogo Karatau [Stratigraphy and fauna of Cambrian and Precambrian boundary beds of Maly Karatau]. Trudy Geologischeskogo Instituta AN SSSR, 326:1–90(in Russian).Google Scholar
Poulsen, C. 1967. Fossils from the Lower Cambrian of Bornholm. Kongelige Dansk Videnskabernes Selskab Matematisk-fysiske Meddelelser, 36:1–48.Google Scholar
Jianxin, Qian, and Bing, Xiao. 1984. An early Cambrian small shelly fauna from Aksu-Wushu region, Xinjiang. Professional Papers of Stratigraphy and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, 13:65–90(in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Yi, Qian. 1990 [date of imprint 1989]. Early Cambrian small shelly fossils of China with special reference to the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary. Stratigraphy and palaeontology of systematic boundaries in China. Precambrian-Cambrian boundary, 2:1–341.Google Scholar
Qian, Yi., and Bengtson, S. 1989. Palaeontology and biostratigraphy of the Early Cambrian Meishucunian Stage in Yunnan province, South China. Fossils and Strata 24:156 p.Google Scholar
Walcott, C. D. 1920. Middle Cambrian Spongiae. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 67:261–364.Google Scholar
Wuyan, Wang, Bing, Xiao, Sengui, Zhang, and Zhaoling, Zhu. 1985. Division and correlation of Cambrian system in Aksu-Wushi district of Xinjiang. Xinjiang Geology, 3:59–74(in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Voronin, Yu. I., Voronova, L. G., Grigor'eva, N. V., Drozdova, N. A., Zhegallo, E. A., Zhuravlev, A. Yu., Ragozina, A. L., Rozanov, A. Yu., Sayutina, T. A., Sysoev, V. A., and Fonin, V. D. 1982. Granitsa dokembriya i kembrya v geosinklinal'nykh oblastyakh (opornyj razrez Salany-Gol, MNR). [The Precambrian-Cambrian boundary in the geosynclinal regions (reference section Salany-Gol, MNR)]. Trudy Sovmestnoj Sovetsko-Mongol'skoj Paleontologicheskoj Ehkspeditsii 18:1–150(in Russian).Google Scholar
Bing, Xiao. 1989. Review of the age of Uyirtus Formation in the light of the discovery of Anabarites. Xinjiang Geology, 7:35–39(in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Bing, Xiao., and Chenghua, Duan. 1992. Review of small shelly fauna of Yultus, early Cambrian of Xinjiang. Xinjiang Geology, 10:212–232(in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Yates, A. M., Gowlett-Holmes, K. L., and Mchenry, B. J. 1992. Triplicatella disdoma Conway Morris, 1990, reinterpreted as the earliest known polyplacophoran. Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia, 13:71.Google Scholar
Jicheng, Yin, Lianfang, Ding, Tinggui, He, Shilin, Li, and Lijuang, Shen. 1980. The palaeontology and sedimentary environment of the Sinian system in Emei-Ganluo area, Sichuan. People's Publishing House, Sichuan, 231 p. (in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Yochelson, E. L. 1993. Molluscan affinity of coeloscleritophorans. Lethaia, 26:47–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, Yue and Linzhi, Gao. 1992. Paleontology, biostratigraphy and geological significance of the early Cambrian protoconodonts and other skeletal microfossils from Aksu-Wushi region, Xinjiang, China. Bulletin of the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, 23:133–160(in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Zhao, Yue, and Linzhi, Gao. 1994. A new early Cambrian species of Tannuolina from Xinjiang region, China. Professional Papers of Stratigraphy and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, 24:66–78(in Chinese, with English abstract).Google Scholar
Zhuravlev, A.Yu., and Gravestock, D. I. 1994. Archaeocyathids from Yorke peninsula, South Australia and archaeocyathan Early Cambrian zonation. Alcheringa, 18:1–54.Google Scholar