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An early Ediacaran assemblage of macroscopic and morphologically differentiated eukaryotes

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  • Xunlai Yuan

    (State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China)

  • Zhe Chen

    (State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China)

  • Shuhai Xiao

    (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

  • Chuanming Zhou

    (State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China)

  • Hong Hua

    (Northwest University)

Abstract

Rolling back the fossil record for complexity When did macroscopic, complex life forms first appear in the fossil record? Rather earlier than was thought, it seems. For several years the deep-water Avalon assemblage at Mistaken Point, Newfoundland, has been widely recognized as the earliest known, at around 579 million to 565 million years old. But now a series of spectacular fossils of seaweed-like forms from the Lantian Formation in China has been dated to around 600 million years old. The taxonomic diversity and morphological complexity of the Lantian biota is comparable to that of the Avalon biota, suggesting that morphological diversification of macroscopic eukaryotes may have occurred earlier than previously thought.

Suggested Citation

  • Xunlai Yuan & Zhe Chen & Shuhai Xiao & Chuanming Zhou & Hong Hua, 2011. "An early Ediacaran assemblage of macroscopic and morphologically differentiated eukaryotes," Nature, Nature, vol. 470(7334), pages 390-393, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:470:y:2011:i:7334:d:10.1038_nature09810
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09810
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang Zheng & Anwen Zhou & Swapan K. Sahoo & Morrison R. Nolan & Chadlin M. Ostrander & Ruoyu Sun & Ariel D. Anbar & Shuhai Xiao & Jiubin Chen, 2023. "Recurrent photic zone euxinia limited ocean oxygenation and animal evolution during the Ediacaran," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.

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