Xixiang Biota Another Rare Scientific Window of the Cambrian Explosion

• Published in: Acta geologica Sinica (Beijing) Vol. 90; no. 3; pp. 1045 - 1046
• Main Authors: Yunhuan, LIU, Qi, WANG, Tiequan, SHAO, Junyan, DONG, Hanhua, TANG, Yanan, ZHANG, Kaituo, JIANG, Bo, HU, Zhaojing, WANG, Guotao, PANG, Yingying, MA, Ziyang, FAN
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Richmond Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; College of Earth Science and Resources, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, Shaanxi, China
• Edition: English ed.
• Subjects: 寒武纪; 爆炸; 生物; 科学; 窗口
• ISSN: 1000-9515; 1755-6724
• DOI: 10.1111/1755-6724.12745

Objective The Xixiang biota is a specially preserved micro oryctocoenose discovered in the Lower Cambrian Kuanchuanpu member of Dengying Formation at Zhangjiagou section of Xixiang County in southern Shaanxi Province. The Kuanchuanpu member is a set of neritic carbonate sedimentary formation containing phosphorus and silicon. Its lithology is mainly grey massive fine crystalline, dense massive phosphoruscontaining biolithite and flaggy microcrystallinecrystalline dolomitic limestone. It is in a conformable contact with the underlying upper dolomite member of Dengying Formation and a parallel unconformable contact with the overlying Guojiaba Formation. The fossil assemblages of the Xixiang biota could be compared with the microfbssils from the Lower Cambrian Meishucun Stage, and their age is the Early Cambrian Meishucun Stage.