Fossil evidence unveils an early Cambrian origin for Bryozoa
- Zhang, Zhiliang
- Zhang, Zhifei
- Ma, Junye
- Taylor, Paul
- Strotz, Luke
- Jacquet, Sarah
- Skovsted, Christian
- Chen, Feiyang
- Han, Jian
- Brock, Glenn
DOIAbstract
Bryozoans (ectoprocts or moss animals) are aquatic, dominantly sessile, filter-feeding lophophorates that construct an organic or calcareous modular colonial (clonal) exoskeleton. The presence of six major orders of bryozoans with advanced polymorphisms in lower Ordovician rocks strongly suggests a Cambrian origin for the largest and most diverse lophophorate phylum. However, a lack of convincing bryozoan fossils from the Cambrian has hampered resolution of the true origins and character assembly of earliest members of the group. Here we interpret the millimetric, erect, bilaminate, secondarily phosphatised fossil Protomelission gatehousei from the early Cambrian of Australia and South China as a potential stem-group bryozoan. The monomorph...
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