Systematics and palaeobiology of some Cambrian hyoliths from Guizhou, China, and Nevada, USA

Abstract

Sun, H., Babcock, L.E., Peng, J. & Kastigar, J.M., July 2016. Systematics and palaeobiology of some Cambrian hyoliths from Guizhou, China, and Nevada, USA. Alcheringa 41, xxx–xxx. ISSN 0311-5518.Hyoliths constitute one of the most important groups of early biomineralized metazoans. Abundant hyolith specimens, comprising both hyolithides and orthothecides, from the Balang Formation (Cambrian Stage 4), Guizhou, China, and the Poleta Formation (Cambrian Stages 3–4), Pioche Formation (Stages 4–5) and Emigrant Formation (Stages 4–5) Nevada, USA, add to the early Palaeozoic record of hyoliths from South China and Laurentia, and provide new taxonomic, taphonomic and palaeoecologic information about this group. Hyoliths from the Balang Formation include the hyolithides ‘Ambrolinevitus’ maximus Jiang, 1982, Galicornus seeneus? Val’kov, 1975, Haplophrentis reesei Babcock & Robison, 1988, ‘Linevitus’ guizhouensis sp. nov., Meitanovitus guanyindongensis Qian, 1978, undetermined forms, and undetermined orthothecides. Hyoliths from Nevada include the hyolithides Haplophrentis carinatus (Matthew, 1899), Nevadotheca whitei (Resser, 1938), an undetermined form, and undetermined orthothecides. In the Balang Formation, eocrinoids have been found attached to hyolithide conchs, which supports the view that hyolithides were benthic animals.Haijing Sun* [hjsun1987@163.com], Resources and Environmental Engineering College, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, PR China; Loren E. Babcock† corresponding author [babcockloren@gmail.com], School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Jin Peng corresponding author [gzpengjin@126.com], Resources and Environmental Engineering College, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, PR China; Jessica M. Kastigar [kastigar.2@osu.edu], School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. *Also affiliated with Key Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China. †Also affiliated with Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden.