A5015372248- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Geological formations and processes
- Diatoms and Algae Research
- Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Crustacean biology and ecology
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions
- Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Echinoderm biology and ecology
- Marine Biology and Environmental Chemistry
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Geological and Geophysical Studies
- Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Phytoplasmas and Hemiptera pathogens
- Marine and environmental studies
- Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Geological Studies and Exploration
- Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
National Museum Wales
2016-2025
Chinese Academy of Sciences
2012-2025
Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology
2016-2025
Smithsonian Institution
2019
Museum für Naturkunde
2019
Institut Bouisson Bertrand
2019
Stanford Medicine
2019
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy
2012-2013
Hanover College
2013
University of Cambridge
2002-2005
A new marine fossil assemblage from the Early Triassic shows unexpected phyletic diversity and functional complexity.
Sponges are probably the earliest branching animals and their fossil record dates back to Precambrian. Identifying skeletal structure composition is thus a crucial step in improving our understanding of early evolution metazoans. Here, we present discovery 505–million-year-old chitin, found exceptionally well preserved Vauxia gracilenta sponges from Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale. Our new findings indicate that, given right fossilization conditions, chitin stable for much longer than...
Biological materials are a rewarding area of modern science, yielding both evolutionary insights and inspiration for biomimetic research. In particular, biocomposite structures valuable sources novel with unusual chemical properties, they very informative the mechanisms biomineralization. Here we describe unique amorphous silica, crystalline aragonite, chitin from species order Verongida, group marine sponges. The have been analyzed diverse suite techniques, revealing chitinous template...
The relationships of the sponge classes are controversial, particularly between calcareous and siliceous sponges. Specimens putative calcarean Eiffelia globosa Walcott from Burgess Shale show presence diagnostic hexactinellid spicules integrated into skeletal mesh. arrangement these in is shown to be precisely equivalent that early protospongioid hexactinellids, growth occurred through an identical pattern produce body morphology. difference spicule composition interpreted observation...
Broad-scale analyses of Cambrian spiculate sponges are scarce. The apparent differences between and Ordovician sponge faunas were included in Sepkoski's concept evolutionary faunas; these, regarded as minor contributors to the Paleozoic modern insignificant Evolutionary Fauna. More recent published occurrences inclusion archaeocyaths phylum Porifera, however, have altered our understanding significance among faunas. majority appear be segregated into two major associations: lower China,...
Abstract The hierarchically structured glass sponge Caulophacus species uses the first known example of a silica and calcite biocomposite to join spicules its skeleton together. In stalk body this poorly deep‐sea siliceous are modified by addition conical seeds, which then form basis for further secretion spinose region. Spinose regions on adjacent joined crosslinks, leading unusually strong cross‐spicule linkages. biomaterials implications it is now clear, from record biomineral other than...
Research Article| September 01, 2011 Welsh gold: A new exceptionally preserved pyritized Ordovician biota Joseph P. Botting; Botting * 1Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China *E-mails: acutipuerilis@yahoo.co.uk; lucy@asoldasthehills.org; m.sutton@ic.ac.uk; tdb29@cam.ac.uk. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Lucy A. Muir; Muir Mark D. Sutton; Sutton 2Department Earth Science Engineering,...
The Cambrian Burgess Shale-type biotas form a globally consistent ecosystem, usually dominated by arthropods. Elements of these communities continued into the Early Ordovician at high latitude, but our understanding ecological changes during Great Biodiversification Event (GOBE) is currently limited paucity exceptionally preserved open-marine faunas. Here we clarify early stages GOBE describing new Konservat-Lagerstätte from Wales. Afon Gam Biota includes many lineages typical biotas, most...
Abstract The Sirius Passet Biota of the Buen Formation in North Greenland is one key Burgess Shale‐type faunas, as it represents only diverse early Cambrian (Stage 2, Series 3) biota from Laurentia. sponges are major components fauna, although they appear to be much less abundant than arthropods, based on available collections. At least 13 species described here, including new taxa Hamptonia limatula sp. nov., Lenica perversa Saetaspongia procera Constellatispongia canismajorii gen. et nov....
Abstract Among living hexactinellids (glass sponges), the Rossellidae are one of most distinctive species‐rich families because their unique macroscopic characters and, due to resulting fossil record, among useful for tracing origins hexactinellid diversification. Recent discoveries have extended origin total group back Ordovician, but these fossils have, so far, all been identified either as stem‐group representatives or sponges with uncertain interpretation. New material described here...
Abstract Calibration of the divergence times sponge lineages and understanding their phylogenetic history are hampered by difficulty in recognizing crown versus stem groups fossil record. A new specimen from lower C ambrian (Series 2, Stage 3; approximately 515 Ma) S irius P asset B iota N orth G reenland has yielded a diagnostic spicule assemblage extant demosponge H aploscleromorpha and/or eteroscleromorpha. The disarticulated situ , but represents an individual that possessed monaxon...
Conulariella sp. and possibly one other conulariid species occur in close association with Sphenothallus the lower part of early Floian Tonggao Formation near town Sandu, Guizhou Province, China.This is only known occurrence Early Ordovician rocks outside Bohemia (Perunican terrane), also first report from China.The apertural margin appears to have been mostly straight, lappets probably were not present this genus.Some conulariids may attached orbiculoid brachiopods life.Based on most recent...
Synopsis An abundant sponge collection from basal Caradoc mudstones of the Llanfawr Quarries, Llandrindod, Powys is most diverse fine‐sediment fauna recorded British Palaeozoic. It dominated by reticulosans, but includes some lyssakids and demosponges. Eight new genera 11 species are erected one family proposed: Xylochos palindromica gen. et sp. nov., Pirania llanfawrensis Heminectere minima Asthenospongia cambria nov. (Asthenospongiidae nov.), Acutipuerilis spinosus Granulispongia obscura...
Abstract: A diverse fauna of three-dimensionally preserved sponges is described from nearshore volcanogenic sandstones near Llandrindod, Mid-Wales. The was through early marginal silicification, in rare examples with silicification soft tissue, and includes aspicular spicular demosponges, hexactinellids, a heteractinid. largely endemic, the following new species, genera families erected: Onerosiconcha gregalia gen. et sp. nov., Ordinisabulo quadragintaforma Miritubus erinaceus Vadosifistula...
Exceptionally well-preserved specimens of the reticulosan sponge Cyathophycus loydelli from Sandbian (Late Ordovician) Llanfawr Mudstones Formation Llandrindod, Waes, UK, have been examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The include exquisitely detailed pyritized spicules, and granular pyritization surrounding soft tissues. Spicules frequently show axial canals diameter similar to those modern siliceous sponges, with hexagonal symmetry typical demosponges rather than...
Abstract The Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian distributions of non-stromatoporoid sponges are reviewed. earliest Cambrian faunas contain mostly hexactinellids, with protomonaxonids dominating middle assemblages. There no obvious palaeobiogeographical patterns, many genera being found widely. Vauxiids, lithistids heteractinids apparently confined to low latitudes, but this may be due a poor fossil record. Most known from although some high-latitude known, which reticulosan hexactinellids...