Title: Progress and significance in research on the early Middle Cambrian Kaili Biota, Guizhou Province, China
Abstract: Important progress in research on the Kaili Biota has been made recently. Many interesting components from Chengjiang Biota and Burgess Shale Biota have been discovered, e. g. Microdictyon of lobopodia; Ottaia, Palaeoscolex of worms; Naraoia, Marrella of Trilobitioidea, Mollisonia, anamalocarids and other non-trilobite arthropods; and new sorts of echinoder-mas, macroalage fossils and so on. Recent work on the Kaili Biota has resulted in the following developments: (i) an increase in the number of animal genera, up to more than 100 genera in total, so that the Kaili Biota has become the third most diverse of the Burgess Shale-type Biota after the Burgess Shale and Chengjiang Biotas ; and (ii) the most noteworthy fossils in the Kaili Biota are echinoderms, non-trilobite arthropods and soft-bodied medusiform fossils, especially the most diverse echinoderms. The progress provides envidence for the biodiversity of marine organisms presented after the Explosion and serves as a link between the earlist Cambrian Chengjiang Biota and late early Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale Biota. It is of great significance in the reconstruction of the Cambrian palaeoplate, palaeon-geography and in research on taphonomy.
Publication Year: 2002
Publication Date: 2002-09-01
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 23
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot