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Exceptionally preserved hyolithids from the middle Cambrian of North China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2021

Haijing Sun Open the ORCID record for Haijing Sun [Opens in a new window] ,
Zhixin Sun  and
Fangchen Zhao Open the ORCID record for Fangchen Zhao [Opens in a new window]
Haijing Sun*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou510640, China CAS Centre for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou510640, China State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing210008, China
Zhixin Sun
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing210008, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
Fangchen Zhao
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing210008, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
*
Author for correspondence: Haijing Sun, Email: sunhaijing@gig.ac.cn
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Abstract

Hyoliths are extinct enigmatic organisms of early lophotrochozoan affinity known globally from the Palaeozoic Era and were especially diverse and abundant in the Cambrian Period. However, the commonly incomplete preservation of hyolith exoskeletons and our limited knowledge of their soft anatomy makes their ecological and biological aspects unclear. Konservat-Lagerstätte are crucial windows to unlock the mysteries of hyoliths. Here we report a new occurrence of exceptionally preserved hyolithid hyoliths from the middle Cambrian Mantou Formation (Miaolingian, Wuliuan) in Shandong Province, North China. The preserved soft organs of the new species Novakotheca weifangensis sp. nov. include a U-shaped gut and possible pharynx, oesophagus, stomach and digestive gland, which provide significant new information for the reconstruction of the digestive system of hyolithids. Two taphonomic modes of hyoliths described herein are recognized: soft tissue preservation through pyritization and three-dimensional shell preservation through phosphatization. Morphological variations due to different preservational pathways in the same species are revealed, highlighting the taphonomic bias on taxonomy. The ecological association between hyoliths and small brachiopod epibionts is a direct example of species interactions, providing insights into the ecological structures and adaptability of early animals during Cambrian time.

Keywords

Hyolithasoft anatomytaphonomyepibiont associationBurgess Shale-type Lagerstätte
Type
Original Article
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 158 , Issue 11 , November 2021 , pp. 1951 - 1959
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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