Cambrian ecological complexities: Perspectives from the earliest brachiopod – supported benthic communities in the early Cambrian Guanshan LagerstätteShow others and affiliations
2022 (English)In: Gondwana Research, ISSN 1342-937X, E-ISSN 1878-0571, Vol. 107, p. 30-41Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The Cambrian radiation is characterized by the emergence of diverse bilaterian animal phyla and theestablishment of complex marine ecosystems. The Guanshan Biota records an unusual ecological transition from trilobite- to brachiopod-dominated communities during Cambrian Stage 4. This community transition is accompanied by direct evidence of in situ biological interactions such as durophagous pre-dation and kleptoparasitism. Here we describe new material from the Guanshan biota, focusing on an association of palaeoscolecidomorphs and brachiopods with parasitic tube worms that occur on micro-bedding planes. The bedding plane assemblages are dominated by the organophosphatic brachiopod Neobolus wulongqingensis encrusted with kleptoparasitic tube-dwelling worms, along with infaunal palaeoscolecidans. Taphonomic and sedimentological evidence indicates that these specimens are com-monly preserved in life position, and thus the association between individuals represent potential biological interactions. This case study reveals that ecosystems during the early Cambrian exhibited a well-developed system of tiering and a complex trophic network, easily distinguished from the simple communities typical of precursor deposits in the Ediacaran. Brachiopods forming extremely dense concentrations on the sea floor are effectively acting as ecosystem engineers, not only to stabilize the soft-substrate seafloor, but also act as an alternative substrate for the oldest empirically demonstrated kleptoparasites.The in situ biological interactions preserved in the Guanshan Biota are critical for filling gaps in ourknowledge of ecosystem complexity in the Cambrian.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2022. Vol. 107, p. 30-41
Keywords [en]
Early Cambrian, Guanshan Biota, Benthic ecosystem, Brachiopods, Ecological complexity, Biological interaction
National Category
Geology Other Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
Research subject
Diversity of life; The changing Earth
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:nrm:diva-4848DOI: 10.1016/j.gr.2022.02.008OAI: oai:DiVA.org:nrm-4848DiVA, id: diva2:1713253
Note
This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC Nos. 41720104002, 41890844, 41621003 to Zhang Zhifei and 4207020712, 42072003 to Timothy P. Topper), Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences award to the Early Life Institute (grant XDB26000000), 111 Project of Ministry of Education of China (D17013), 1000 Talents Program (41720104002 to Timothy P. Topper and Luke C. Strotz) and Opening Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University (21LCD02 to Chen Feiyang).
2022-11-242022-11-242022-12-02Bibliographically approved