寒武纪早期是生物大爆发和动物多样性大发展的时期，其中古杯动物在这一时期起源、快速辐射，并在寒武纪早期末很快灭绝。研究古杯动物的起源、演化、灭绝过程及灭绝原因可为探讨寒武纪早期生物辐射模式、灭绝模式及灭绝事件提供重要的研究资料。.本课题选择寒武系下部地层出露完整，碳酸盐岩发育的扬子区、蒙古和南澳大利亚深水相区为研究区，以寒武纪早期古杯动物为研究对象，采用磨片法和高分辨率显微CT技术，研究个体结构构造和个体发育，进而研究寒武纪早期古杯动物形态的变化、演化趋势以及与海绵动物的亲缘关系。建立不同相区全球古杯动物化石种级数据库，采用CONOP定量统计分析古杯动物的多样性，研究寒武纪古杯动物灭绝过程。在古杯生物地层框架下，研究三个地区寒武纪早期Stage3-Stage4碳氧同位素演化曲线，探讨碳氧同位素异常事件反映的海洋环境的变化与古杯动物灭绝事件的相关性，进而探讨古杯动物灭绝的影响因素.

The early Cambrian period was a period of great outbreak of biology and the great development of animal diversity. In this period, The archaeocyaths, which is a special kind of sponges, originated during the Early Cambrian Bioradiation event and was extinct at the end of Early Cambrian. Studying the origin, evolution, extinction process and causes of extinction of the archaeocyaths can provide important research data for exploring the early Cambrian biological radiation patterns, extinction patterns and extinction events..In this study, we selected the Yangtze platform, Mongolia and South Australia where the lower Cambrian strata are exposed and carbonate rocks develop well, are the study areas. Taking the early Cambrian archaeocyaths as the research object, Using the grinding method and 3D micro-CT method to study the structural and the ontogeny of the archaeocyaths, and then to study the morphological changes, evolutionary trends and the genetic relationship with the sponges. We will establish the database of the archaeocyathan fossil of the world, use CONOP quantitative analysis of the diversity of the archaeocyaths, and study extinction process. Under the framework of the archaeocyathan biostratigraphy, we studied the evolutionary curves of carbon and oxygen isotopes during Stage3-Stage4 in the early Cambrian in the three regions, and discussed the correlation between the changes in the marine environment reflected by the carbon and oxygen isotopic anomalies and the extinction event in the ancient beast. Discussing the influential factors of the extinction events of the archaeocyaths.