SGER: Primitive Cambrian Echinoderms of the Kaili Fauna from Taijaing County, Guizhou Province, Peoples Republic of China

PI将花一个月（2002年8月）在中国，在贵阳的贵州理工大学和南京地质古生物研究所研究来自凯里动物群的原始中寒武纪棘皮动物。棘皮动物的初级对称性（基于步行系统的对称性）、柱状结构的早期进化发展及其支撑物很有可能从一些材料中推断出来。大多数标本作为模具保存，大量的乳胶浇铸将是数据收集的重要组成部分。目前有充分的证据表明，与化石相关的沉积物并没有受到广泛的生物扰动，这使得与底部的附着模式/机制变得非常重要，它将被广泛研究。对这些材料的研究很可能使我们对这一重要生物类群的早期进化有一个全新的认识，目前这些收集物可供与中国同事共同研究。

PI will spend a month (August, 2002) in China studying primitive Middle Cambrian echinoderms from the Kaili Fauna at the Guizhou University of Technology in Guiyang as well as at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology in Nanjing. There are very good possibilities that primary symmetry in echinoderms (based on the symmetry of the ambulacral system), early evolutionary development of columnar structures and their holdfasts can be deduced from some of the material. Most specimens are preserved as molds and extensive latex casting will be an important part of the data gathering. At present there is good evidence that the sediments associated with the fossils are not extensively bioturbated, which makes the mode/mechanism of attachment to the bottom very important: it will be extensively investigated. Study of this material may well open up a whole new understanding of the early evolution of this important biotic group and the collections are available at this time for joint investigation with Chinese colleagues.