Publications
The Early Cambrian Fossils
Exceptional fossil deposits at the Chengjiang site, dating to approximately 520 million years ago, have preserved soft tissues of diverse early Cambrian animals, revealing key insights into the rapid evolutionary radiation and anatomical diversification during this period. These fossils, including sponges, polyps, and bilaterians such as arthropods, demonstrate the growing separation of visceral organs from somatic features like limbs, fins, brain, and eyes. The Chengjiang community represents a global pattern, with earlier deposits at Kuanpuanchu indicating that this radiation began 15 million years prior. Additionally, even older Siberian fossils show evidence of predator-prey distinctions, suggesting complex ecological interactions had already evolved by the base of the Cambrian.
Discovery of paleontological site of Chengjiang and new explanation of Cambrian life explosion——Site protection and sustainable development
The Chengjiang fossil site in Yunnan, China, has emerged as a pivotal discovery for understanding the Cambrian life explosion. Fossils from this site reveal unprecedented diversity and adaptability among early marine organisms, offering critical evidence for Earth's evolutionary history. The study highlights the site's significance in biotechnology and sustainable development while addressing challenges in its conservation. It emphasizes the potential to integrate scientific research with tourism, ensuring long-term protection without compromising its paleontological value.
Modélisation d'un réseau trophique paléoécologique de la faune fossile des schistes de Fezouata (Maroc) de l'Ordovicien inférieur
A newly reconstructed paleoecological food web from the Fezouata fossil site (Morocco) reveals that Ordovician marine ecosystems, despite their early stage, exhibited modern-like trophic complexity. The study, which compiled the most comprehensive species list to date and modeled 15 trophic properties, found that Fezouata's network shared similarities with Burgess Shale (Cambrian) but featured higher basal species proportions and lower mean trophic levels, reflecting the rise of filter-feeding animals post-Cambrian explosion. Comparisons across Chengjiang, Burgess, and Fezouata suggest the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE) may not be as independent from the Cambrian diversification as previously thought, implying a continuous long-term evolutionary process rather than distinct events.
Palaeontologic and Stratigraphic Research at NIGPAS
NIGPAS has achieved significant milestones in palaeontologic and stratigraphic research, including the determination of Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) and groundbreaking studies on the Chengjiang Fauna and Wuda Tuff Flora. These discoveries, both recognized as IUGS Geological Heritage Sites, highlight China's rich fossil lagerstätten and ideal geological sections, which have become global focal points for addressing geoscience challenges. NIGPAS, supported by CAS, fosters extensive domestic and international collaboration, driving continued exploration and research in invertebrate palaeontology and palaeobotany.
The exploration on the path of foreign language talent cultivation from the perspective of rural revitalization --a case study of Chengjiang Fossil Site History Museum
A collaborative approach between colleges and villages, exemplified by the Chengjiang Fossil Site History Museum, demonstrates significant potential for cultivating foreign language talents tailored to rural revitalization needs. This study identifies a pathway for training composite talents that integrates foreign language skills with local contextual demands, addressing gaps in current talent cultivation strategies in China. By analyzing existing training models and aligning them with rural development requirements, the research proposes an innovative framework for education-village partnerships. The findings highlight the importance of localized, context-driven talent development in fostering sustainable rural growth.
Cambrian explosion fossils from the North China craton
A new middle Cambrian (Drumian) Burgess-Shale-type (BST) fossil deposit, the Linyi Lagerstätte, has been formally described from the North China craton, marking a significant discovery. This site, located in Shandong Province, is the youngest BST found in China and complements earlier findings from nearby Weifang. The Linyi Lagerstätte includes notable soft-bodied species such as the newly described radiodont Cordaticaris striatus and rare arthropods like Thelxiope. Quantitative analysis suggests it represents an intermediate fauna between East Gondwana and Laurentia, providing insights into global paleobiogeographic patterns during the Cambrian explosion. This study underscores the importance of continued field exploration and detailed investigation to enhance our understanding of early animal evolution.
Moving legs: A workflow on how to generate a flexible endopod of the 518 million‐year‐old Chengjiang arthropod Ercaicunia multinodosa using 3D ‐kinematics (Cambrian, China)
A groundbreaking reconstruction of limb movement in the 518-million-year-old arthropod Ercaicunia multinodosa from China’s Chengjiang Fossil Site reveals how its endopods could have flexed inward, offering new insights into early arthropod locomotion. Unlike prior two-dimensional analyses, this study leverages high-resolution micro-CT scanning to capture the fossilized limb’s three-dimensional structure, followed by 3D visualization and animation techniques. Researchers used Amira for surface modeling, SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Author for postprocessing, and Autodesk Maya with X_ROMM to simulate limb articulation, proposing multiple plausible movement patterns. This method bridges gaps in fossil morphology, enhancing our understanding of Cambrian arthropod behavior.
Data on taxon preservation from three Burgess Shale-type deposits
Three iconic fossil sites—Burgess Shale (Canada), Chengjiang Biota (China), and Fezouata Shale (Morocco)—exhibit distinct preservation patterns for anatomical structures, offering insights into Cambrian and Ordovician paleo-biodiversity. The study categorizes preserved features into mineralized, sclerotized, cuticularized parts, soft tissues exposed to seawater, and internal organs, revealing significant differences in their proportions across sites. This dataset, compiled from publications, books, and museum collections over three months, serves as a benchmark for assessing new fossil localities and mitigating preservation biases in biodiversity reconstructions.
Finding a home for hyoliths
A new interpretation of hyoliths, ancient conical-shelled organisms, challenges their classification as brachiopods. Liu et al. propose that hyoliths instead belong to the Lophotrochozoa clade, which includes molluscs and annelids, by re-evaluating their feeding apparatus and shell structures. The study questions the validity of a previously described attachment stalk in Chengjiang fossils, suggesting it may be a damaged shell apex rather than a true pedicle. This reinterpretation has significant evolutionary implications, implying that the ancestral lophotrochozoan had a shell, which was later lost in annelids. The research combines morphological analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction to reshape our understanding of early animal evolution.
The appendicular morphology of Sinoburius lunaris and the evolution of the artiopodan clade Xandarellida (Euarthropoda, early Cambrian) from South China
A groundbreaking study reveals the detailed appendicular morphology of Sinoburius lunaris, a rare and enigmatic early Cambrian euarthropod from the UNESCO-listed Chengjiang Fossil Site. Using X-ray computed tomography, researchers uncovered unprecedented 3D preservation of its ventral anatomy, including biramous limbs with unique features such as reduced antennae and specialized exopods. The findings challenge prior assumptions about arthropod evolution, supporting the monophyly of the Xandarellida clade and proposing a transformation series for key morphological traits like eye slits. This work not only advances our understanding of Sinoburius but also highlights the potential of tomographic techniques to unravel the complexity of Palaeozoic euarthropods.
Fossil treasure house for exploring the Cambrian explosion
The Chengjiang Fossil Site has emerged as a pivotal 'fossil treasure house' for unraveling the Cambrian explosion—a rapid diversification of life forms during the early Cambrian period. This site, along with other Burgess Shale-type fossil Lagerstatten, preserves soft-bodied fossils in exceptional detail, offering unique insights into marine biodiversity and evolutionary trends. The recently discovered Xiazhuang Assemblage, similar to the Chengjiang fauna, includes arthropods, brachiopods, priapulids, lobopods, and problematic taxa, though with notable absences like Kunmingella douvillei. Comparative studies across these sites reveal chronological changes in biological communities, while limited specimen collections highlight the need for intensified fossil excavation to further enrich our understanding of this critical period.
Chengjiang
Exceptionally preserved fossil sites, known as Fossil-Lagerstätten, have revolutionized our understanding of Earth's biological history. Among these, the Chengjiang Fossil Site stands out for its unique window into early Cambrian ecosystems, offering a comprehensive view of life during this pivotal period. These sites, scattered throughout geological time, provide critical insights into ecosystem evolution, comparable to other famous Lagerstätten like the Burgess Shale and Solnhofen Limestone. By studying such sites, researchers can reconstruct the complexity and diversity of ancient ecosystems with remarkable precision.
Mechanism for Burgess Shale-type preservation
Burgess Shale-type preservation of soft-bodied fossils, a phenomenon providing critical insights into early animal diversification, is attributed to unique sedimentologic and geochemical conditions. Research reveals that the exceptional preservation of labile tissues in Cambrian deposits like Chengjiang and Burgess Shale was driven by early inhibition of microbial activity due to oxidant deprivation. This condition arose from low sulfate concentrations in the global ocean and low-oxygen bottom water during deposition, combined with rapid fossil entombment in fine-grained sediments and sealing by carbonate cements at bed tops. These cements, facilitated by unusually high Cambrian seawater alkalinity, created a permeability barrier that restricted oxidant flux, thereby preserving organic remains as carbonaceous compressions. This mechanism, shared across multiple Burgess Shale-type deposits, offers a unique window into the immediate aftermath of the 'Cambrian explosion.'
New occurence of the Cambrian (Stage 4, Series 2) Guanshan Biota in Huize, Yunnan, South China
A new occurrence of the Cambrian (Stage 4, Series 2) Guanshan Biota has been identified in Huize, Yunnan, South China, approximately 100 km north of previously reported sites. This discovery expands the paleogeographic distribution of the Guanshan Biota and strengthens its connections to both the younger Chengjiang Biota and the older Kaili Biota, as well as the coeval Burgess Shale community. The study examines the lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the Zhujiaqing section, revealing representatives from various phyla, including sponges, palaeoscolecids, arthropods, brachiopods, echinoderms, vetulicolians, and potential new taxa such as a novel species of Vetulicola. This finding enhances our understanding of the evolutionary relationships between these significant Cambrian fossil assemblages.
You are here:
World Heritage Explorer > World Heritage Research > World Heritage Sites > Chengjiang Fossil Site