Macroalgal holdfasts and their interaction with environments from the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation in Guizhou, South China

Abstract

Numerous macro-organisms of the Doushantuo macrobiota, which were found in the black carbonaceous mudstone of the upper Neoproterozoic Ediacraan Doushantuo Formation in Jiangkou County, Guizhou Province, China, are considered to live on sea floor by their holdfasts. The appearance and preserved forms of the macroalgal holdfasts may provide some data to the study of the living and buried environments of macrobiota. They lived in the lower energy and clear environment, and fixed on a soupground with rich water (about 79% water). Currents, possibly ocean currents, could pull out the macroalgal holdfasts from the soupground and break off the macroalgal foliations. After such events, the corpses of macro-organisms would be covered in a reduced environment by the deposits. Afterwards, a new community, including regenerating and undying macro-organisms, lived continuously on a new deposit.

References

1. Bi Z G Wang X F Zhu H Wang Z Q Ding F 1987 The Sinian of SouthernAnhuiIn: The Committee of Professional Papers of Stratigraphyand Palaeontology of Chinese Academy of Science, ed. Professional Papers of Stratigraphy and Palaeontology (19)BeijingGeologicalPublishing House2760(in Chinese)
2. Chen M E Xiao Z Z 1991 Discoveryof the macrofossils in the Upper Sinian Doushantuo Formation at Miaohe,Eastern Yangtze GorgesScientia GeologicaSinica(4)317324(in Chinese)
3. Chen M E Lu G Y Xiao Z Z 1994a Preliminary study on the algal macrofossils-Lantianflora from Lantian Formation of Upper Sinian in Southern Anhui ProvinceChinese Academy of Science, Institute of Geology,Collection(7)252267(in Chinese)
4. Chen M E Xiao Z Z Yuan X L 1994b A new assemblage of megafossils-MiaoheBiota from upper Sinian Doushantuo Formation, Yangtze gorgesActa Palaeontologica Sinica33(4)392403(in Chinese)
5. Chen M E Chen Q Y Xiao Z Z 2000 Preliminary discussion on the early evolutionaryhistory of macroscopic plantsScientia GeologicaSinica35(1)115(in Chinese)
6. Chen X H Wang X F 2002 Morphologyand systematics of fossils in the Sinian Wulingshan biota from westernHunan ProvinceGeological Bulletin of China21(10)638645(in Chinese)
7. Ding L F Li Y Hu X S Xiao Y P Su C Q Huang J C 1996 Sinian Miaohe BiotaBeijingGeological Publishing House2833(in Chinese)
8. Hu X S 1997 A study on macrofossils ecostratigraphy in Doushantuo Formationat the Late Sinian in the eastern Yangtze gorgesJournal of Xi'an College of Geology19(3)913(in Chinese)
9. Knoll A H Xiao S H 1999 On the ageof the Doushantuo FormationActa MicropalaeontologicaSinica16(3)225236
10. Liu B J Xu X S 1994 Atlas of theLithofacies and Palaeogeography of South China (Sinian-Triassic)BeijingSciencePress2833(in Chinese)
11. Luo X Q 1993 The sedimentary facies and model of phosphorite in thewestern HunanSedimentary Facies and Palaeogeography13(3)3339(in Chinese)
12. Qin S R Zhu S C Xie Z Q Chen Y L Wang Y G 1984 The upper Precambrianin GuizhouIn: Wang Y GYin G ZZheng S FThe Upper Precambrian and Sinian-Cambrian Boundary in GuizhouGuiyangPeople'sPublishing House of Guizhou3776(in Chinese)
13. Sang T Wang L T 1987 General paleogeographicsituationsIn: Xian J BWang K XHan B ZRegional Geology of Guizhou ProvinceBeijingGeological Publishing House480481(in Chinese)
14. Steiner M 1994 Die neoproterozoischen Megaalgen SüdchinasBerlinger Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen (E)151146(in German)
15. Steiner M Erdtmann B-D Chen J 1992 Preliminary assessment of new Late Sinian(Late Proterozoic) large siphonous and filamentous “megaalgae”from eastern Wulingshan, north-central Hunan, ChinaBerliner Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen3(E)305319(in German)
16. Tang F Yin C Y Gao L Z 1997 A new deal of metaphyte fossils from theLate Sinian Doushantuo Age at Xiuning, Anhui ProvinceActa Geologica Sinica71289296(in Chinese)
17. Wang Y G Qin S R Zhu S C Chen Y L 1987 Proterozoic EonothemIn: Xian J BWang K XHan B ZRegional Geology of Guizhou ProvinceBeijingGeologicalPublishing House2648(in Chinese)
18. Wang Y He M H YU M Y Zhao Y L Peng J Yang R J Zhang Z H 2005 Preliminarydiscussion on the ecological characteristics and buried environmentsof Miaohe-type Biota during the Late Doushantuoian of Sinian in northeasternGuizhou ProvinceJournal of Paleogeography7(3)327335(in Chinese)
19. Xia W J Du S G Xu X H Bi Z G Yin J C Li S L Zhang C J Yi H S 1994 The Palaeogeography and Mineralizationof the Sinian in Southern ChinaBeijingGeological Publishing House5062(in Chinese)
20. Xiao S Yuan X Steiner M Knoll A H 2002 Macroscopic carbonaceous compressions in a terminal Proterozoic shale:A systematic reassessment of the Miaohe biota, South ChinaJournal of Paleontology76347376. doi:10.1666/0022‐3360(2002)076<0347:MCCIAT>2.0.CO;2
21. Yan Y Z 1995 Discovery and preliminary study of megascopic algae (1,700Ma) from the Tuanshanzi Formation in Jixian, HebeiActa Micropalaeontologica Sinica12(2)107126(in Chinese)
22. Yuan X L Li J Chen M E 1995 Development and their fossil records ofmetaphytes from Late PrecambrianActa PalaeontologicaSinica34(1)90102(in Chinese)
23. Yuan X Li J Cao R 1999 A diverse metaphyte assemblage from theNeoproterozoic black shales of South ChinaLethaia32143155
24. Yuan X L Xiao S H Yin L M Knoll A H Zhou C M Mu X L 2002 Doushantuo Fossils: Life on the Eve of Animal RadiationHefeiUniversityof Science and Technology of China Press2640(in Chinese)
25. Zhang S H Jiang G Q Zhang Junming Song B Kennedy J M Nicholas C B 2005 U-Pb senstitive high-resolution ion microprobe ages fromthe Doushantuo Formation in South China: Contraints on late NeoproterozoicglaciationsGeology33(6)473476. doi:10.1130/G21418.1
26. Zhao Y L Chen M E Peng J Yu M Y He M H Wang Y Yang R J Wang P L Zhang Z H 2004 Discovery of a Miaohe-type Biota from the Neoproterozoic DoushantuoFormation in Jiangkou County, Guizhou Province, ChinaChinese Science Bulletin49(20)22242226. doi:10.1360/982004‐47