ISBN/ISSN: 7221072280
Published on: 2006-01
Special
Guizhou, called the Kingdom of the Paleobiologic Fossils, is rich in paleobiologic fossils of which there is an evidence of theexistence of the early life 600, 000, 000 years ago before the wide spreading of the early animals, especially the Keichousaurus and the Metacrinus.
This album of the sorted specimens of the paleobioligic fossils is enjoyable from a popular scientist’s standpoint.Guizhou Plateau is a land of miracles. Possesing abundant, diverse, ancient organisms fossil of both scientific value and ornamental value, Guizhou is known as a kingdom of ancient organism. In the past 20 years, geologists and palaeontologist found large quantities of rare fossils formed and preserved in the distinctive circumstances in their exploration on Weng’an Biota, Kaili Biota, and Guanling Biota. This new discovery has not only enlarged the fossil family of this land, but also attracted attention of the counterparts home and abroad due to its uniques. Many of them come to Guizhou for investigation.
By providing rich pictures and captions, from a unique visual angle, The Selection of Fossils of Guizhou-the of Ancient Organisms presents to you some snapshouts of the evolution process of the lives on this planet in the past several hundred million years.
1.Weng’an Biota
Weng’an Biota was named by Yuan Shunlai in 1993. it came into being in the phosphorites of Early Sinian Doushantuo Formation. The fossils were phosphatized and preserved in solid forms. Containing filamentous and globular cyanophyte and metazoan embryo fossils, it was a multi-phyla fossil biota dominated by bottom dwelling multicellular algae and large size spiniferous acritarch.
2.Miaohe Biota
Miaohe Biota was first discovered by Zhu Gougan and Chen Meng in the blackly carbonaceous shale at the top of the Doushantou Formation of Neoproterozic in Miaohe, Zigui, Hubei in 1978. it is mainly composed of benthonic megascopic algae, including a few putative metazoans. They were persevered by arbonaceous compressions on surfaces of the black shale at upper of Doushantou Formation in Miaohe, Zigui, Hubei.
3.Niutitang Biota
The Niutitang Biota discovered by M.Steiner, E.Wallis from Technological University of Berlin and Prof. Zhao Yuanlong, post-graduated student Guo Qingjun, Assistant Zhou Zhen, Ph..D.student Yang Ruidong from Guizhou University. It occurs in black mudrock of the Niutitang Formation at the Heehapao, Songlin Town, Zunyi County, Guizhou, includes a great number sponge fossils of Leptomitus, Saetaspongia, Choia, Solatinella, Crumillospongia, Triticispongia, Haylosinca of porifea and Naraoia, Isoxys, Perspicaris, Tsunyidiscus, Songlinella of arthropda etc. up to now the Niutitant Biota is composed of fossils over 26 genera among 6 phyla. They are: 1. algae; 2. porifera; 3. colenterata; 4. worms; 5. mollusca; 6. arthropods, including trilobitomorphs, large bivalve arthropods, bradoriids. The Niutitang Biota imparts new information about Cambrian of early Metazoa. Discovery of the Biota, makes evolutionary series of Cambrian Burgess Shale-type Biota extend down closer to the Pre-Cambrian and Cambrian boundary; provides other important information for the definition of the Cambrian Explosion Appearance of great number of sponges, shows time of diversification of sponges earlier than Chengjiang Biota, and provides information concerning the origin the fauna and its paleogeography. Occurrence of the Niutitang Biota and Chengjiang Biota, also shows Burgess Shale-type Biota are origin the South-west China. Therefore, this is and important Biota who has scientific significance.
4.Kaili Biota
The Kaili Biota contains for representatives of 11 phyla, namely: 1.algae, including red algae, brown algae, and coralline algae etc. 2. acritarchs; 3. porifera, including sponges and chancelloriids; 4. coelenterate, including cnidaria, 5. “worm”; 6. lobopodia, 7. medusiform fossils; 8. brachiopoda; 9. mollusca; including hyolithids, monoplacophorids andbivalves; 10. arthropods, including trilobite, trilobitioids, bradorriias, large bivalve arthropods, and other arthropods, 11. the fossils of uncertain in classification, including Wiwaxia, Triplexia.
5.Guizhou Dinosaur Fauna
The Guizhou Dinosaur Fauna in this album refers to the multi-phyla fossil biota, discovered in the Upper Triassic Zhuganpo member of Falang Formation (about 230 million years age) in Xingyi of Guizhou Province and the surrounding areas, represented by the Hu;s Guizhou Dinosaurs and other marine reptiles, and associated with losts of thishes, ammonites, bivalves, brachiopods, shrimps, crinoids and conodonts. This fauna widely distributed in the Zhuganpo member of Falang Formation in southwestern Guizhou (Longguang of Anlong, Dingxiao and Wusha of Xingyi) and southwestern Yunnan (Luopong and Fuyuang and etc). it was a fauna living in a comparatively deeper water of the shallow sea.
6.Guanling Fossil Biota
Guanling Fossil Biota-the major Discovery of Triassic Marine Animals in China. Guanling Fossil Biota was found in the Upper Triassic Wayao Member of Falang Formation (about 220 million years ago) at Xinpu of Guanling Buyi and Miao Autonomous Coutny and its adjacent areas. The fossils biota is characterized by the rich marine reptiles and crinoids, accompanied with abundant fishes, cephalopods (ammonite, nautilus), bivalves, conodonts, brachiopods, and diverse terrestrial plants. It is therefore praised as the only treasury of late Triassic marine reptiles in the world.
