Gaoyuzhuang Formation
| Gaoyuzhuang Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: 1588.8±6.5 Ma [1] | |
| Type | Formation |
| Underlies | Yangzhuang Formation |
| Overlies | Dahongyu Formation |
| Thickness | ~1800 m |
| Location | |
| Country | China |
The Gaoyuzhuang Formation is a geologic formation in China. It preserves fossils dating back to the Calymmian period of the Mesoproterozoic. It is one of the first formations to preserve definitive macroscopic eukaryotes, at almost 1.6 billion years old.[2] In addition to this, the site preserves a diverse microbiota with various cyanobacteria and fungus-like fossils known.[3]
Paleobiota
After Chen et al., 2023[2] and Shi et al., 2017.[3]
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Paleobiota
| Paleobiota | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Notes | Images | |
| Grandilingulata |
|
Enigmatic frond-like organism |
 | |
| Tuanshanzia |
|
Enigmatic frond-like organism; possibly within Archaeplastida |
 | |
| Proterotainia |
|
Enigmatic filamentous organism, possibly within Vendotaenida. |
 | |
| Siphonophycus |
|
Cyanobacteria | ||
| Oscillatoriopsis |
|
Cyanobacteria | ||
| Veteronostocale |
|
Cyanobacteria | ||
| Cyanonema |
|
Cyanobacteria | ||
| Palaeolyngbya |
|
Cyanobacteria | ||
| Arctacellularia |
|
Cyanobacteria | ||
| Chlorogloeaopsis |
|
Cyanobacteria | ||
| Archaeoellipsoides |
|
Cyanobacteria | ||
| Obruchevella |
|
Cyanobacteria, commonly found in Neoproterozoic sediments | ||
| Coniunctiophycus |
|
Acritarch | ||
| Clonophycus |
|
Acritarch | ||
| Leiosphaeridia |
|
Acritarch | ||
| Leioarachnitum |
|
Acritarch | ||
In addition to these fossils, five unnamed forms are also known. Forms A and B are only known from one specimen, Form C is too fragmentary to be named, and Forms D and E bear no resemblance to any plant, prokaryote, animal or protist. However, various hyphomycetous fungi do form similar structures to forms D and E, thus they may be within this group.[3]
References
- ^ Chen, Kai; Yang, Chuan; Miao, Lanyun; Zhao, Fangchen; Zhu, Maoyan (2024). "New SIMS U–Pb zircon age on the macroscopic multicellular eukaryotes from the early Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation, North China". Geological Magazine. 161. Bibcode:2024GeoM..161E...2C. doi:10.1017/S0016756824000220.
- ^ a b Chen, Kai; Miao, Lanyun; Zhao, Fangchen; Zhu, Maoyan (July 2023). "Carbonaceous macrofossils from the early Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation in the Yanshan Range, North China". Precambrian Research. 392: 107074. Bibcode:2023PreR..39207074C. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2023.107074.
- ^ a b c Shi, Min; Feng, Qinglai; Khan, Maliha Zareen; Zhu, Shixing (December 2017). "An eukaryote-bearing microbiota from the early mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation, Tianjin, China and its significance". Precambrian Research. 303: 709–726. Bibcode:2017PreR..303..709S. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2017.09.013.