EVIDENCE FOR POSSIBLE METAZOAN ACTIVITY IN NEOPROTEROZOIC ABERRANT STROMATOLITES AND THROM-BOLITE STRUCTURES
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Abstract:
The Neoproterozoic Shijiachong Formation contai ns a well preserved suite of aberrant stromatolites with graze like and burrow like scar structures,thrombolite structures and stromatolite thrombolite str ucture unities.Analysis of their morphologies and features leads to the conclusi on that these structures might have been in connection with metazoan activity, bu t the possibility of their abiotic origin can not be ruled out.As a guess these metazoans seem already to show highly developed behaviour.A close relationship m ight exist between the thrombolite structure and ecological effects of grazing a nd burrowing metazoans.The Cambrian life explosion seems to be more apparent tha n real in evolutionary history because older metazoans in Neoproterozoic were no t capable of preservation due to lack of hard parts and suitable embedding sedim ents.
