Microbial decay analysis challenges interpretation of putative organ systems in Cambrian fuxianhuiids
Microbial decay analysis challenges interpretation of putative organ systems in Cambrian fuxianhuiids
复制标题
DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2018.0051
复制
发表时间：
2018-04-11
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Shu, Degan
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Liu, Jianni;Steiner, Michael;Shu, Degan
云南澄江化石Lagerstatte（寒武纪第三期）以其保存完好的软组织而闻名。因此，在附肢节肢动物中，附肢动物的结构被解释为神经和心血管系统，包括大脑、心脏和血管。如此脆弱的器官系统在石化过程中幸存下来似乎很了不起；鉴于这种保存模式涉及到主要的地理变化，如变平、微生物降解、化学变化和替换。在这里，我们记录了福仙惠亚许多铰接个体的一系列语音学保存状态。我们认为，头部区域的有机（部分由铁矿取代）球根结构，以前被解释为脑组织，以及矢状位置的有机链，被解释为心血管系统的一部分或神经索，可能更好地解释为肠道、肌肉和其他结缔组织分解后形成的微生物生物膜，在原始有机遗骸周围形成光晕。
The Chengjiang fossil Lagerstatte (Cambrian Stage 3) from Yunnan, southern China is renowned for its soft-tissue preservation. Accordingly structures in fuxianhuiids, radiodontans and great appendage arthropods have been interpreted as the nervous and cardiovascular systems, including brains, hearts and blood vessels. That such delicate organ systems survive the fossilization process seems remarkable; given that this mode of preservation involves major taphonomic changes, such as flattening, microbial degradation, chemical alteration and replacement. Here, we document a range of taphonomic preservation states in numerous articulated individuals of Fuxianhuia protensa. We suggest that organic (partly iron mineral-replaced) bulbous structures in the head region, previously interpreted as brain tissue, along with sagittally located organic strands interpreted as part of the cardiovascular system or as nerve cords, may be better explained as microbial biofilms that developed following decomposition of the intestine, muscle and other connective tissues, forming halos surrounding the original organic remains.