Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T05:04:03.508Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Lower Cambrian demosponges and hexactinellid sponges from Yunnan, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

J. Keith Rigby
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
Hou Xian-Guang
Affiliation:
Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Nanjing, China

Abstract

The assemblage of demosponge and hexactinellid sponges described here was collected from the Lower Cambrian, Atdabanian, Yu'anshan Member of the Chiungchussu Formation, at the Maotianshan and Xiaolantian sections in Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province, 70 km southeast of Kunming. The sponges occur in relatively massive to weakly graded-bedded, grayish-yellow mudstone and silty mudstone. They are associated with other soft-bodied and skeletonized fossils. The new demosponge species and genera Choiaella radiata, Allantospongia mica, and the questionable sponge Parvulonoda dubia are described, along with new specimens of Leptomitus teretiusculus Chen, Hou, and Lu, 1989, the hexactinellid sponge, Triticispongia diagonata Mehl and Reitner, 1993 and the probable hexactinellid sponge, Saetaspongia densa Mehl and Reitner, 1993.

The sponges occur in what may be distal turbidite deposits, and they may have been buried essentially in situ by these argillaceous accumulations.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Junyuan, Chen, Xianguang, Hou, and Erdtmann, B. D. 1989. New soft-bodied fossil fauna near the base of the Cambrian System at Chengjiang, eastern Yunnan, China, p. 265277. In Chinese Academy of Sciences (ed.), Developments in Geoscience, Contribution to 28th International Geological Congress, 1989, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. Science Press, Beijing.Google Scholar
Junyuan, Chen, Xianguang, Hou, and Guoxiang, Li. 1990. New Lower Cambrian demosponges—Quadrolaminella gen. nov. from Chengjiang, Yunnan. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 29:402413. [In Chinese with an English summary.] Google Scholar
Junyuan, Chen, Xianguang, Hou, and Haozhi, Lu. 1989. Lower Cambrian leptomitids (Demospongea), Chengjiang, Yunnan. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 28:1731. [In Chinese with an English summary.] Google Scholar
Conway Morris, S., and Robison, R. A. 1988. More soft-bodied animals and algae from the Middle Cambrian of Utah and British Columbia. The University of Kansas Paleontological Contributions, Paper 122, 48 p.Google Scholar
Dawson, J. W. 1896. Additional notes on fossil sponges and other organic remains from the Quebec Group of Little Métis on the lower St. Lawrence; with notes on some of the specimens by Dr. G. J. Hinde. Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, 44:91121.Google Scholar
Qixiu, Ding, and Yusheng, Xing. 1988. Soft-bodied metazoans and spongia, p. 101106. In Zhao, Z. et al. (eds.), The Sinian System of Hubei. China University of Geosciences Press, Wuhan. [In Chinese.] Google Scholar
Qixiu, Ding, and Yi, Qian. 1988. Late Sinian to Early Cambrian small shelly fossils from Yangjiaping, Shimen, Hunan. Acta Micropalaeontologica Sinica, 5:3955. [In Chinese with an English abstract.] Google Scholar
Finks, R. M. 1960. Late Paleozoic sponge faunas of the Texas region. The siliceous sponges. American Museum of Natural History Bulletin, 120(1), 160 p.Google Scholar
Hinde, G. J. 1887-1888. A monograph of the British fossil sponges, Parts I and II. Palaeontographical Society of London, p. 192 (1887), p. 93–188 (1888).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xianguang, Hou. 1987. Two new arthropods from Lower Cambrian, Chengjiang, eastern Yunnan. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 26:236256. [In Chinese with an English abstract.] Google Scholar
Xianguang, Hou. 1989. Features and significance of Chengjiang fauna: exceptionally preserved soft-bodied fauna from lowest Cambrian in Yunnan, China. 28th International Congress, Washington, D.C., Abstracts 2:75.Google Scholar
Xianguang, Hou, Ramsköld, L., and Bergström, J. 1991. Composition and preservation of the Chengjiang fauna—a Lower Cambrian soft-bodied biota. Zoologica Scripta, 20:395411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xianguang, Hou, Ramsköld, L., and Weiguo, Sun. 1988. Discovery of Chengjiang fauna at Meishucun, Jinning, Yunnan. Acta Palaeontolgica Sinica, 27:112.Google Scholar
Yugan, Jin, Xianguang, Hou, and Huayu, Wang. 1993. Lower Cambrian pediculate lingulids from Yunnan, China. Journal of Paleontology, 67:788798.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laubenfels, M. W. de. 1955. Porifera, p. E21E112. In Moore, R. C. (ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part E. Geological Society of America and University Kansas Press, Lawrence.Google Scholar
Huilin, Luo, Zhiwen, Jiang, Xueliang, Song, Lin, Ouyang, Yusheng, Xing, Guizhi, Liu, Shishan, Zhang, and Yonghe, Tao. 1984. Sinian-Cambrian boundary stratotype section at Meishucun, Jinning, Yunnan, China. Peoples Publishing House, Yunnan, 154 p.Google Scholar
Huilin, Luo, Xueliang, Wu, Xueliang, Song, Lin, Ouyang, et al. 1982. The Sinian-Cambrian boundary in eastern Yunnan, China. P.R. China, 265 p. [In Chinese with an English abstract.] Google Scholar
Mehl, D., and Erdtmann, B–D. 1994. Sanshapentella dapingi n. gen. n. sp.—a new hexactinellid sponge from the Early Cambrian (Tommotian) of China. Berliner Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, Series E, 13, B. Krebs Festschrift:315319.Google Scholar
Mehl, D., and Reitner, J. 1993. Porifera Grant, 1936, p. 293329. In Steiner, M., Mehl, D., Reitner, J., and Erdtmann, B-D. Oldest entirely preserved sponges and other fossils from the lowermost Cambrian and a new facies reconstruction of the Yangtze Platform (China). Berliner Geowissenshaftliche Abhandlungen, Series E, 9.Google Scholar
Yi, Qian. 1989. Early Cambrian small shelly fossils of China with special reference to the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary. Nanjing University Publishing House, Nanjing, 341 p.Google Scholar
Reid, R. E. H. 1958. A monograph of the Upper Cretaceous Hexactinellida of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Part 1. Palaeontographical Society of London Monograph, 46 p.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rigby, J. K. 1978. Porifera of the Middle Cambrian Wheeler Shale, from the Wheeler Amphitheater, House Range, in western Utah. Journal of Paleontology, 52:13251345.Google Scholar
Rigby, J. K. 1983. Sponges of the Middle Cambrian Marjum Limestone from the House Range and Drum Mountains of western Millard County, Utah. Journal of Paleontology, 57:240270.Google Scholar
Rigby, J. K. 1986. Sponges of the Burgess shale (Middle Cambrian) British Columbia. Palaeontographica Canadiana, 2:1105.Google Scholar
Rigby, J. K. 1987. Early Cambrian sponges from Vermont and Pennsylvania, the only ones described from North America. Journal of Paleontology, 61:451561.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rigby, J. K., and Webby, B. D. 1988. Late Ordovician sponges from the Malongulli Formation of central New South Wales, Australia. Palaeontographica Americana, Number 56, p. 1147.Google Scholar
Schmidt, O. 1870. Grundzüge einer Spongien-fauna des atlantischen Gebietes. Wilhelm Englemann, Leipzig, 88 p.Google Scholar
Schulze, F. E. 1887. Report on the Hexactinellida collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76. The voyage of H.M.S. Challenger, Zoology, 21:1514.Google Scholar
Sollas, W. J. 1875. Sponges. In Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed., London, p. 451.Google Scholar
Sollas, W. J. 1883. The Group Spongiae. Cassell's Natural History, 4:312331.Google Scholar
Steiner, M., Mehl, D., Reitner, J., and Erdtmann, B–D. 1993. Oldest entirely preserved sponges and other fossils from the Lowermost Cambrian and a new facies reconstruction of the Yangtze platform (China). Berliner Geowissenschaften Abhandlungen, 9:293329.Google Scholar
Tianfu, Tang, Junming, Zhang, and Xianjian, Jiang. 1978. Discovery and significance of the Late Sinian fauna from Western Hunan and Hubei. Acta Stratigraphica Sinica, 2:3245. [In Chinese.] Google Scholar
Ulrich, E. O. 1889. Preliminary description of new Lower Silurian sponges. American Geologist, 3:233248.Google Scholar
Walcott, C. D. 1886. Second contribution to the studies on the Cambrian faunas of North America. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 30:13610.Google Scholar
Walcott, C. D. 1920. Cambrian Geology and Paleontology IV, no.6—Middle Cambrian Spongiae. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collection, 67:261364.Google Scholar
Walcott, C. D. 1931. Addenda to descriptions of Burgess shale fossils. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 85(3), 46 p.Google Scholar
Whittington, H. B. 1971. The Burgess Shale: history of research and preservation of fossils. In Proceedings of the North American Paleontological Convention, Chicago, 1969, I, 11701201. Allen Press, Lawrence, Kansas.Google Scholar
Whittington, H. B. 1980. The significance of the fauna of the Burgess Shale, Middle Cambrian, British Columbia. Proceedings of the Geological Association, 91:127148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yusheng, Xing, Ding, Qixiu, Lin, Weixing, Yan, Yongkui, and Zhang, Luyi. 1985. Metazoans and trace fossils, p. 182188. In Yusheng, Xing et al. (eds.), Late Precambrian Palaeontology of China. Geological Publishing House, Beijing. [In Chinese.] Google Scholar
Wentang, Zhang, and Xianguang, Hou. 1985. Preliminary notes on the occurrence of the unusual trilobite Naraoia in Asia. Acta Palaeontolgica Sinica, 24:591595.Google Scholar
Xiguang, Zhang, and Pratt, B. R. 1994. New and extraordinary Early Cambrian sponge spicule assemblage from China. Geology, 22:4346.Google Scholar
Zhiyi, Zhou, and Jinliang, Yuan. 1980. Lower Cambrian trilobite succession in southeast China. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 19:331339. [In Chinese with English abstract.] Google Scholar