The Weng’an Biota (Doushantuo Formation): an Ediacaran window on soft bodied and multicellular microorganisms

John A. Cunningham; Kelly Vargas; Zongjun Yin; Stefan Bengtson; Philip C.J. Donoghue

doi:10.1144/jgs2016-142

The Weng’an Biota (Doushantuo Formation): an Ediacaran window on soft bodied and multicellular microorganisms

John A. Cunningham^*
, Kelly Vargas
, Zongjun Yin
, Stefan Bengtson
, Philip C.J. Donoghue

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

68 Citations (Scopus)

814 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The Weng’an Biota is a fossil Konservat-Lagerstätte in South China that is c. 570 - 609 myr old and provides an unparalleled snapshot of marine life during the interval in which molecular clocks estimate that animal clades were diversifying. It yields fossils that are three-dimensionally preserved in calcium phosphate with cellular and sometimes subcellular fidelity. The biota includes candidates for the oldest animals in the fossil record, including embryonic, larval and adult forms.We argue that, although the Weng’an Biota includes forms that could be animals, none can currently be assigned to this group with confidence. Nonetheless, the biota offers a rare and valuable window on the evolution of multicellular and soft-bodied organisms in the prelude to the Cambrian radiation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	793-802
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of the Geological Society
Volume	174
Issue number	5
Early online date	3 May 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2016-142
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2017

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SDG 14 Life Below Water

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10.1144/jgs2016-142

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This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via The Geological Society at http://jgs.geoscienceworld.org/content/early/2017/04/27/jgs2016-142. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
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title = "The Weng{\textquoteright}an Biota (Doushantuo Formation): an Ediacaran window on soft bodied and multicellular microorganisms",

abstract = "The Weng{\textquoteright}an Biota is a fossil Konservat-Lagerst{\"a}tte in South China that is c. 570 - 609 myr old and provides an unparalleled snapshot of marine life during the interval in which molecular clocks estimate that animal clades were diversifying. It yields fossils that are three-dimensionally preserved in calcium phosphate with cellular and sometimes subcellular fidelity. The biota includes candidates for the oldest animals in the fossil record, including embryonic, larval and adult forms.We argue that, although the Weng{\textquoteright}an Biota includes forms that could be animals, none can currently be assigned to this group with confidence. Nonetheless, the biota offers a rare and valuable window on the evolution of multicellular and soft-bodied organisms in the prelude to the Cambrian radiation.",

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The Weng’an Biota (Doushantuo Formation): an Ediacaran window on soft bodied and multicellular microorganisms

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Neoproterozoic - Phanerozoic transition

Major transitions in evolution: understanding the fossil evidence

DECODING THE FOSSIL RECORD OF EMBRYOLOGY AT THE DAWN OF ANIMAL EVOLUTION

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The Weng’an Biota (Doushantuo Formation): an Ediacaran window on soft bodied and multicellular microorganisms

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Neoproterozoic - Phanerozoic transition

Major transitions in evolution: understanding the fossil evidence

DECODING THE FOSSIL RECORD OF EMBRYOLOGY AT THE DAWN OF ANIMAL EVOLUTION

Cite this