The Cambrian Fossils of Chengjiang, China

The celebrated lower Cambrian Chengjiang biota of Yunnan Province, China, represents one of the most significant ever paleontological discoveries. Deposits of ancient mudstone, about 520 million years old, have yielded a spectacular variety of exquisitely preserved fossils that record the early diversification of animal life. Since the discovery of the first specimens in 1984, many thousands of fossils have been collected, exceptionally preserving not just the shells and carapaces of the animals, but also their soft tissues in fine detail. This special preservation has produced fossils of rare beauty; they are also of outstanding scientific importance as sources of evidence about the origins of animal groups that have sustained global biodiversity to the present day.
Much of the scientific documentation of the Chengjiang biota is in Chinese, and the first edition of this book was the first in English to provide fossil enthusiasts with a comprehensive overview of the fauna. The second edition has been fully updated and includes a new chapter on other exceptionally preserved fossils of Cambrian age, exciting new fossil finds from Chengjiang, and a phylogenetic framework for the biota. Displaying some 250 figures of marvelous specimens, this book presents to professional and amateur paleontologists, and all those fascinated by evolutionary biology, the aesthetic and scientific quality of the Chengjiang fossils.

Foreword ix
Preface xi
Part One Geological and Evolutionary Setting of the Biota 1
1 Geological time and the evolution of early life on Earth 3
2 The evolutionary significance of the Chengjiang biota 7
3 The discovery and study of the Chengjiang Lagerstä tte 12
4 The distribution and geological setting of the Chengjiang Lagerstä tte 20
5 The taphonomy and preservation of the Chengjiang fossils 26
6 The paleoecology of the Chengjiang biota 30
7 Cambrian Lagerstä tten 35s
Part Two Chengjiang Fossils 39
8 Algae 40
Fuxianospira gyrata Chen & Zhou, 1997 40
Megaspirellus houi Chen & Erdtmann, 1991 42
Sinocylindra yunnanensis Chen & Erdtmann, 1991 44
Yuknessia sp. of Chen & Erdtmann, 1991 46
9 Ctenophora 48
Galeactena hemispherica Ou et al. , 2015 49
Maotianoascus octonarius Chen & Zhou, 1997 50
Batofasciculus ramificans Hou et al. , 1999 52
Yunnanoascus haikouensis Hu et al. , 2007 54
10 Porifera 56
Paradiagoniella xiaolantianensis Chen et al. , 2014 56
Triticispongia diagonata Mehl & Reitner, 1993 58
Saetaspongia densa Mehl & Reitner, 1993 60
Leptomitus teretiusculus Chen et al. , 1989 62
Choiaella radiata Rigby & Hou, 1995 64
Choia xiaolantianensis Hou et al. , 1999 66
Allantospongia mica Rigby & Hou, 1995 68
Leptomitella conica Chen et al. , 1989 70
Paraleptomitella dictyodroma Chen et al. , 1989 72
Paraleptomitella globula Chen et al. , 1989 74
Quadrolaminiella diagonalis Chen et al. , 1990 76
11 Cnidaria 78
Archisaccophyllia kunmingensis Hou et al. , 2005 78
Xianguangia sinica Chen & Erdtmann, 1991 80
12 Entoprocta 82
Cotyledion tylodes Luo & Hu, 1999 82
13 Phoronida 84
Iotuba chengjiangensis Chen & Zhou, 1997 84
14 Brachiopoda 86
Yuganotheca elegans Zhang et al. , 2014 86
Heliomedusa orienta Sun & Hou, 1987 88
Longtancunella chengjiangensis Hou et al. , 1999 90
Diandongia pista Rong, 1974 92
Lingulellotreta malongensis (Rong, 1974) 94
Lingulella chengjiangensis Jin et al. , 1993 96
15 Annelida 98
Cambrosipunculus tentaculatus Huang et al. , 2004 99
Maotianchaeta fuxianella Chen, 2004 100
16 Trochozoa of uncertain affinity 102
Ambrolinevitus maximus Jiang, 1982 103
Ambrolinevitus ventricosus Qian, 1978 104
Burithes yunnanensis Hou et al. , 1999 106
Linevitus opimus Yu, 1974 108
Nectocaris pteryx Conway Morris, 1976 110
Wiwaxia papilio Zhang et al. , 2015 112
17 Priapulida and relatives 114
Mafangscolex sinensis (Hou & Sun, 1988) 114
Maotianshania cylindrica Sun & Hou, 1987 116
Cricocosmia jinningensis Hou & Sun, 1988 118
Paraselkirkia sinica (Luo & Hou, 1999) 120
Corynetis brevis Luo & Hu, 1999 122
Sicyophorus rarus Luo & Hu, 1999 124
Palaeopriapulites parvus Hou et al. , 1999 126
Eximipriapulus globocaudatus Ma et al. , 2014 128
Xiaoheiqingella peculiaris Hu, 2002 130
Omnidens amplus Hou et al. , 2006 132
Acosmia maotiania Chen & Zhou, 1997 134
Archotuba elongata (Luo & Hou, 1999) 136
18 Lobopodians 138
Paucipodia inermis Chen et al. , 1995 138
Diania cactiformis Liu et al. , 2011 140
Microdictyon sinicum Chen et al. , 1989 142
Onychodictyon ferox Hou et al. , 1991 144
Cardiodictyon catenulum Hou et al. , 1991 146
Hallucigenia fortis Hou & Bergströ m, 1995 148
Luolishania longicruris Hou & Chen, 1989 150
Antennacanthopodia gracilis Ou & Shu, 2011 152
19 Anomalocaridids 154
Anomalocaris saron Hou et al. , 1995 154
Amplectobelua symbrachiata Hou et al. , 1995 156
Lyrarapax unguispinus Cong et al. , 2014 158
Cucumericrus decoratus Hou et al. , 1995 160
20 Euarthropoda 162
Isoxys paradoxus Hou, 1987 163
Isoxys auritus (Jiang, 1982) 164
Pectocaris spatiosa Hou, 1999 166
Shankouia zhenghei Chen et al. , 2004 168
Chengjiangocaris longiformis Hou & Bergströ m, 1991 170
Fuxianhuia protensa Hou, 1987 172
Pseudoiulia cambriensis Hou & Bergströ m, 1998 174
Fortiforceps foliosa Hou & Bergströ m, 1997 176
Occacaris oviformis Hou, 1999 178
Forfexicaris valida Hou, 1999 180
Jianfengia multisegmentalis Hou, 1987 182
Tanglangia longicaudata Luo & Hu, 1999 184
Parapeytoia yunnanensis Hou et al. , 1995 186
Haikoucaris ercaiensis Chen et al. , 2004 188
Alalcomenaeus sp. of Tanaka et al. , 2013 190
Leanchoilia illecebrosa (Hou, 1987) 192
Retifacies abnormalis Hou et al. , 1989 194
Pygmaclypeatus daziensis Zhang et al. , 2000 196
Squamacula clypeata Hou & Bergströ m, 1997 198
Urokodia aequalis Hou et al. , 1989 200
Sinoburius lunaris Hou et al. , 1991 202
Acanthomeridion serratum Hou et al. , 1989 204
Cindarella eucalla Chen et al. , 1996 206
Xandarella spectaculum Hou et al. , 1991 208
Skioldia aldna Hou & Bergströ m, 1997 210
Saperion glumaceum Hou et al. , 1991 212
Kuamaia lata Hou, 1987 214
Naraoia spinosa Zhang & Hou, 1985 216
Misszhouia longicaudata (Zhang & Hou, 1985) 218
Eoredlichia intermedia (Lu, 1940) 220
Kuanyangia sp. of Hou & Bergströ m, 1997 222
Yunnanocephalus yunnanensis (Mansuy, 1912) 224
Parapaleomerus sinensis Hou et al. , 1999 226
Kwanyinaspis maotianshanensis Zhang & Shu, 2005 227
Kunmingella douvillei (Mansuy, 1912) 228
Kunyangella cheni Huo, 1965 230
Primicaris larvaformis Zhang et al. , 2003 232
Branchiocaris? yunnanensis Hou, 1987 234
'Canadaspis' laevigata (Hou & Bergströ m, 1991) 236
Chuandianella ovata (Lee, 1975) 238
Clypecaris pteroidea Hou, 1999 240
Combinivalvula chengjiangensis Hou, 1987 242
Synophalos xynos Hou et al. , 2009 244
Yunnanocaris megista Hou, 1999 246
21 Chaetognatha 248
Protosagitta spinosa Hu, 2002 248
22 Hemichordata 250
Galeaplumosus abilus Hou et al. , 2011 251
23 Ambulacraria of uncertain affinity 252
Rotadiscus grandis Sun & Hou, 1987 253
Eldonia eumorpha (Sun & Hou, 1987) 254
Phlogites longus Luo & Hu, 1999 256
24 Chordata 258
Shankouclava anningense Chen et al. , 2003 258
Myllokunmingia fengjiaoa Shu et al. , 1999 260
Zhongxiniscus intermedius Luo & Hu, 2001 262
Cathaymyrus haikouensis Luo & Hu, 2001 263
25 Bilateria of uncertain affinity 264
Dinomischus venustus Chen et al. , 1989 264
Facivermis yunnanicus Hou & Chen, 1989 266
Vetulocystis catenata Shu et al. , 2004 268
Yunnanozoon lividum Hou et al. , 1991 270
26 Vetulicolians 272
Heteromorphus confusus (Chen & Zhou, 1997) 272
Pomatrum ventralis Luo & Hu, 1999 274
Yuyuanozoon magnificissimi Chen et al. , 2003 276
Beidazoon venustum Shu, 2005 278
Vetulicola cuneata Hou, 1987 280
27 Animals of uncertain affinity 282
Nidelric pugio Hou et al. , 2014 282
Allonnia phrixothrix Bengtson & Hou, 2001 284
Stromatoveris psygmoglena Shu et al. , 2006 286
28 Species recorded from the Chengjiang biota 288
29 Phylogenetic arrangement of chapters 292
References 293
Systematic Index 308
General Index 312