First report of brachiopods with soft parts from the Lower Cambrian Latham Shale (Series 2, Stage 4), California

• Published in: Science bulletin Vol. 65; no. 18; pp. 1543 - 1546
• Main Authors: Liang, Yue, Holmer, Lars E., Hu, Yazhou, Zhang, Zhifei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 30.09.2020
• Subjects: Earth Science with specialization in Historical Geology and Palaeontology; Geovetenskap med inriktning mot historisk geologi och paleontologi
• ISSN: 2095-9273; 2095-9281
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2020.05.001

In this work, we present the first report of two species of brachiopods, Paterina prospectensis and Mickwitzia occidens, displaying soft part preservation from Lower Cambrian Latham Shale (Series 2, Stage 4), California. The specimen of P. prospectensis is provided with delicate setae preserved as pseudomorphed framboidal pyrite. This observation extends fossil record trace of exceptional preservation of the paterinids from the Wuliuan stage back to the Stage 4, which also possibly suggest that life strategies of brachiopods (sessile attaching and mimicry) had already developed by Stage 4 (a-b). M. occidens is represented as flatted reddish imprint with pretty good reticulate-pustulose ornamentation. The remarkable similarities in size, morphology, setae and ornament between M. occidens and Heliomedusa orienta from the Chengjiang Konservat-Lagerstätte indicate an important geological extension of this taxon in North America, and raising a question as if the first appearance datum of mickwitziids in Laurentia and pan-Gondwana seems diachronous (c-d). [Display omitted]