Title: Towering sponges in an Early Cambrian Lagerstätte: Disparity between nonbilaterian and bilaterian epifaunal tierers at the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian transition
Abstract: Research Article| April 01, 2002 Towering sponges in an Early Cambrian Lagerstätte: Disparity between nonbilaterian and bilaterian epifaunal tierers at the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian transition Xunlai Yuan; Xunlai Yuan 1Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Nanjing 210008, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Shuhai Xiao; Shuhai Xiao 2Department of Geology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ronald L. Parsley; Ronald L. Parsley 2Department of Geology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Chuanming Zhou; Chuanming Zhou 3Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Nanjing 210008, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Zhe Chen; Zhe Chen 3Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Nanjing 210008, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jie Hu Jie Hu 3Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Nanjing 210008, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Xunlai Yuan 1Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Nanjing 210008, China Shuhai Xiao 2Department of Geology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, USA Ronald L. Parsley 2Department of Geology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, USA Chuanming Zhou 3Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Nanjing 210008, China Zhe Chen 3Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Nanjing 210008, China Jie Hu 3Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Nanjing 210008, China Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 19 Sep 2001 Revision Received: 19 Nov 2001 Accepted: 20 Nov 2001 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2002) 30 (4): 363–366. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0363:TSIAEC>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 19 Sep 2001 Revision Received: 19 Nov 2001 Accepted: 20 Nov 2001 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Xunlai Yuan, Shuhai Xiao, Ronald L. Parsley, Chuanming Zhou, Zhe Chen, Jie Hu; Towering sponges in an Early Cambrian Lagerstätte: Disparity between nonbilaterian and bilaterian epifaunal tierers at the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian transition. Geology 2002;; 30 (4): 363–366. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0363:TSIAEC>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Epifaunal, suspension-feeding bilaterian animals in the Cambrian lived close to the sediment-water interface, and hence their ecological tiering levels were low (<10 cm). Here we report an Early Cambrian (Diandongian or probably Tommotian-Atdabanian) Lagerstätte from the Hetang Formation in Anhui Province, south China. The Hetang biota is characterized by high-tiering (to 50 cm) sponges and small (<0.5 cm) bilaterians (including orthothecid hyoliths and bivalved arthropods). Nonbilaterian suspension feeders (sponges, cnidarians, and archaeocyathids) as high-tiering animals and bilaterian suspension feeders as low-tiering animals also characterize other Neoproterozoic-Cambrian assemblages, such as the Ediacaran, Chengjiang, Burgess Shale, and Sinsk biotas. These data are consistent with medium- to high-tiering levels in Neoproterozoic-Cambrian epifaunal communities, but suggest that nonbilaterians achieved such tiering levels long before bilaterian suspension feeders did so in the Early Ordovician. The disparity between bilaterian and nonbilaterian tierers during the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian transition and the delayed appearance of high-tiering bilaterians demand phylogenetic and ecological explanations. The Cambrian substrate revolution may have triggered a cascade of ecological evolution, including the rise of bilaterian animals in high-tiering levels during the Ordovician radiation of the Paleozoic fauna. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.
Publication Year: 2002
Publication Date: 2002-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 64
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