Dengying Formation

Last updated
Dengying Formation
Stratigraphic range: Ediacaran
~551–541  Ma
DuoshantuoDengyingTransition.jpg
Transition between uppermost Doushantuo Formation and lowermost Dengying Formation
Type Formation
Sub-units See: Members
Underlies Yanjiahe Formation [1]
Overlies Doushantuo Formation
Location
Region Yangtze Gorges
Country China

The Dengying Formation is an upper Ediacaran (551-541 Ma [2] ) fossiliferous geologic formation found in South China. It was deposited on a shallow marine carbonate platform. [3]

Contents

Members

Listed by ascending age:

Traditionally, the Tianzhushan Member was considered to be the uppermost unit of the Dengying Formation. However, its small shelly fossils and Micrhystridium -like acritarchs are a shared characteristic with the Cambrian Yanjiahe Formation. [3] The Kuanchuanpu Formation also is occasionally placed as a member of the Dengying Formation, [6] however it is likely separate for the same reasons.

Paleobiota

The Dengying formation is unique from other Ediacaran formations in that its top is almost right up against the Ediacaran - Cambrian boundary, with more recent organisms being described that have striking similarities with Cambrian fauna, like Alienum. There are also a lot of ichnogenera in the form of burrows, something that is common in younger Ediacaran rocks the closer to the Cambrian boundary they are.

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxonTaxon falsely reported as presentDubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Proarticulata

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Dickinsonia [7]
  • Dickinsonia sp.
Oval to elongated motile organism. Only one incomplete specimen is known.
Dickinsonia costata.jpg

Petalonamae

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Charniodiscus [8]
  • Charniodiscus sp.
Frondose organism.
Charniodiscus.png
Paracharnia [9]
  • P. denyingensis
Frondose organism.
Paracharnia dengyingensis.png
Pteridinium [8]
  • Pteridinium sp.
Frondose organism.
Pteridinium simplex Namibia.JPG
Rangea [8]
  • Rangea sp.
Frondose organism.
Rangea scheiderhoehni 1.jpg

Trilobozoa

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Lobodiscus [10]
  • L. tribrachialis
Tri-radial organism.

Porifera

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Helicolocellus [11]
  • H. cantori
Conical sponge, possible relations to hexactinelliid sponges.
Helicolocellus Reconstruction.png

incertae sedis

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Alienum [12]
  • A. velamenus
Vetulicolian-like organism.
Alienum Reconstruction.png
Cloudina [13]
  • Cloudina sp.
Tubular organism.
Cloudina NT.jpg
Curviacus [14]
  • C. ediacaranus
Elongated organism.
Conotubus [15]
  • C. hemiannulatus
Tubular organism.
Cycliomedusa [16]
  • C. jiangchuanensis
Discoid organism.
Cycliomedusa Reconstruction.png
Gaojiashania [17]
  • G. cyclus
Tubular organism.
Hiemalora [8]
  • Hiemalora sp.
Discoid organism, possibly holdfasts of petalonamids.
Hiemalora stellaris.jpg
Palaeorhopalon [13]
  • P. spiniferum
Tubular organism.
Shufangtubulus [13]
  • S. inornatus
Tubular organism.
Sinotubulites [18] [13]
  • Sinotubulites sp.
  • S. baimatuoensis
  • S. hexagonus
  • S. pentacarinalis
  • S. triangularis
Tubular organism.
Wutubus [8]
  • W. annularis
Tubular organism.
Yangtziramulus [19]
  • Y. zhangi
Enigmatic organism, affinities with other forms is unknown, although possibly related to the Petalonamae, like Charnia.
Yilingia [20]
  • Y. spiciformis
Bilterian animal of unknown affinities, with possible relations to Panarthopoda or Annelida.

Flora

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Longfengshania [16]
  • Longfengshania sp.
Thallus-like macroalgae.
Protocodium [21]
  • P. sinense
Codiacean alga.

Microorganisms

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Protolagena [22]
  • P. limbata
  • P. gaojiashanensis
  • P. papillatus
Vase-like microorganisms.
Sicylagena [22]
  • S. formosa
  • S. latistoma
Vase-like microorganisms.

Ichnogenera

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Lamonte [23]
  • L. trevallis
Burrows.
Helminthoidichnites
  • Helminthoidichnites isp.
Burrows.
Shaanxilithes
  • Shaanxilithes isp.
Junior synonym of Nenoxites.
Shaanxilithes ningqiangensis, late Ediacaran, Shaanxi province (China).jpg
Nenoxites
  • Nenoxites isp.
Movement traces.
Nenoxites Curvus Drawing.jpg
Torrowangea
  • Torrowangea isp.
Burrows.

Undescribed

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Zhenba columns [24]
  • ???
Possible affinities with coralline algae.
Bilateria indet.
  • Unapplicable
Known to have several pairs of appendages, but its exact affinity is unknown [25]

See also

References

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  2. Condon, Daniel; Zhu, Maoyan; Bowring, Samuel; Wang, Wei; Yang, Aihua; Jin, Yugan (2005). "U–Pb ages from the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation, China". Science. 308 (5718): 5–98. Bibcode:2005Sci...308...95C. doi: 10.1126/science.1107765 . JSTOR   3841402. PMID   15731406. S2CID   11673032.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Zhou, Chuanming; Xiao, Shuhai (2006). "Ediacaran .δ13C chemostratigraphy of South China". Chemical Geology. 237 (1–2): 89–108. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2006.06.021.
  4. Meyer, Mike; Xiao, Shuhai; Gill, Benjamin C.; Schiffbauer, James D.; Chen, Zhe; Zhou, Chuanming; Yuan, Xunlai (2014). "Interactions between Ediacaran animals and microbial mats: Insights from Lamonte trevallis, a new trace fossil from the Dengying Formation of South China". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 396: 62–74. Bibcode:2014PPP...396...62M. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.12.026.
  5. Chen, Zhe; Chen, Xiang; Zhou, Chuanming; Yuan, Xunlai; Xiao, Shuhai (June 2018). "Late Ediacaran trackways produced by bilaterian animals with paired appendages". Science Advances. 4 (6): eaao6691. Bibcode:2018SciA....4.6691C. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aao6691. hdl: 10919/84444 . PMC   5990303 . PMID   29881773.
  6. Yao, Xiaoyong; Han, Jian; Jiao, Guoxiang (November 2011). "Early Cambrian epibolic gastrulation: A perspective from the Kuanchuanpu Member, Dengying Formation, Ningqiang, Shaanxi, South China". Gondwana Research. 20 (4): 844–851. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2011.04.003.
  7. Wang, Xiao-Peng; Chen, Zhe; Pang, Ke; Zhou, Chuan-Ming; Xiao, Shuhai; Wan, Bin; Yuan, Xun-Lai (December 2021). "Dickinsonia from the Ediacaran Dengying Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area, South China". Palaeoworld. 30 (4): 602–609. doi: 10.1016/j.palwor.2021.01.002 .
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  9. Sun Weiguo (June 1986). "Late precambrian pennatulids (sea pens) from the eastern Yangtze Gorge, China: Paracharnia gen. nov". Precambrian Research. 31 (4): 361–375. Bibcode:1986PreR...31..361S. doi:10.1016/0301-9268(86)90040-9.
  10. Zhao, Mingsheng; Mussini, Giovanni; Li, Yulan; Tang, Feng; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Li, Ming; Chen, Ailin (February 2024). "A putative triradial macrofossil from the Ediacaran Jiangchuan Biota". iScience. 27 (2): 108823. Bibcode:2024iSci...27j8823Z. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.108823. PMC   10831930 . PMID   38303714.
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  12. Liu, Junping; Chen, Ailin; Li, Binglin; Tang, Feng; Zhao, Jiangtai; Chen, Ke (6 October 2024). "Problematic Ediacaran sail-shaped fossils from eastern Yunnan, China". Historical Biology: 1–7. doi:10.1080/08912963.2024.2403588.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Dai, Qiaokun; Hua, Hong; Luo, Jinzhou; Min, Xiao; Liu, Ziwei; Zhang, Song; Gong, Meng; Bai, Lin (April 2024). "A new silicified microfossil assemblage from the Ediacaran Dengying Formation in South Shaanxi, China". Precambrian Research. 403: 107308. Bibcode:2024PreR..40307308D. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107308.
  14. Shen, Bing; Xiao, Shuhai; Zhou, Chuanming; Dong, Lin; Chang, Jieqiong; Chen, Zhe (November 2017). "A new modular palaeopascichnid fossil Curviacus ediacaranus new genus and species from the Ediacaran Dengying Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area of South China". Geological Magazine. 154 (6): 1257–1268. Bibcode:2017GeoM..154.1257S. doi:10.1017/S001675681700036X.
  15. Cai, Yaoping; Schiffbauer, James D.; Hua, Hong; Xiao, Shuhai (November 2011). "Morphology and paleoecology of the late Ediacaran tubular fossil Conotubus hemiannulatus from the Gaojiashan Lagerstätte of southern Shaanxi Province, South China". Precambrian Research. 191 (1–2): 46–57. Bibcode:2011PreR..191...46C. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2011.09.002.
  16. 1 2 Zhao, Mingsheng; Zhang, Yupeng; Tang, Feng; Li, Yulan; Li, Ming; Zhong, Ling; Ren, Liudong (March 2025). "Enigmatic discoidal macrofossils with central ring from the Ediacaran Jiangchuan biota, Southwest China". Papers in Palaeontology. 11 (2). Bibcode:2025PPal...11E0005Z. doi:10.1002/spp2.70005.
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  18. Cai, Yaoping; Xiao, Shuhai; Hua, Hong; Yuan, Xunlai (May 2015). "New material of the biomineralizing tubular fossil Sinotubulites from the late Ediacaran Dengying Formation, South China". Precambrian Research. 261: 12–24. Bibcode:2015PreR..261...12C. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2015.02.002.
  19. Shen, Bing; Xiao, Shuhai; Zhou, Chuanming; Yuan, Xunlai (July 2009). "Yangtziramulus zhangi new genus and species, a carbonate-hosted macrofossil from the Ediacaran Dengying Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area, South China". Journal of Paleontology. 83 (4): 575–587. Bibcode:2009JPal...83..575S. doi:10.1666/08-042R1.1.
  20. Chen, Zhe; Zhou, Chuanming; Yuan, Xunlai; Xiao, Shuhai (19 September 2019). "Death march of a segmented and trilobate bilaterian elucidates early animal evolution". Nature. 573 (7774): 412–415. Bibcode:2019Natur.573..412C. doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1522-7. PMID   31485079.
  21. Chai, Shu; Aria, Cédric; Hua, Hong (21 September 2022). "A stem group Codium alga from the latest Ediacaran of South China provides taxonomic insight into the early diversification of the plant kingdom". BMC Biology. 20 (1): 199. doi: 10.1186/s12915-022-01394-0 . PMC   9491005 . PMID   36127662.
  22. 1 2 Chai, Shu; Hua, Hong; Ren, Jinjie; Dai, Qiaokun; Cui, Zaihang (January 2021). "Vase-shaped microfossils from the late Ediacaran Dengying Formation of Ningqiang, South China: taxonomy, preservation and biological affinity". Precambrian Research. 352: 105968. Bibcode:2021PreR..35205968C. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2020.105968.
  23. Meyer, Mike; Xiao, Shuhai; Gill, Benjamin C.; Schiffbauer, James D.; Chen, Zhe; Zhou, Chuanming; Yuan, Xunlai (February 2014). "Interactions between Ediacaran animals and microbial mats: Insights from Lamonte trevallis, a new trace fossil from the Dengying Formation of South China". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 396: 62–74. Bibcode:2014PPP...396...62M. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.12.026.
  24. Zhang, Yuan; Zhang, Xingliang (September 2022). "A possible erect coralline alga from the Ediacaran Dengying Formation in the Zhenba area of South China". Journal of Paleontology. 96 (5): 1209–1222. Bibcode:2022JPal...96.1209Z. doi: 10.1017/jpa.2022.33 .
  25. Chen, Zhe; Chen, Xiang; Zhou, Chuanming; Yuan, Xunlai; Xiao, Shuhai (June 2018). "Late Ediacaran trackways produced by bilaterian animals with paired appendages". Science Advances. 4 (6). doi:10.1126/sciadv.aao6691. hdl: 10919/84444 . PMC   5990303 .