PRELIMINARY RESEARCH ON TUBULAR PORE SYSTEM OF EARLY CAMBRIAN MEISHUCUNIAN HYOLITH CONCH

Research on microstructures of some slices and a well preserved hyolith conch from the Early Cambrian Meishucunian of the Yulu, Huize County and Baizai, Xundian County of eastern Yunnan shows that hyolith tubular pore system is well developed. Outer layer of the conch consists of longitudinal long fibre bundles that can branch and anamonse while inner layer of the conch transversal elongated bundles. A lot of triangular or elliptical pores are distributed in the outer layer. These pores are parallel to growth direction of the conch. Transversal long channels are distributed in and between bundles of the inner layer. Tubular pores of the outer and inner layers can be connected. In some slices of hyoliths the tubular pores that were filled with phosphate granules in the process of the early phosphatization can be recognized. These tubular pores are densely distributed. They are approximately perpendicular to shell surface and almost reach to surface and bottom of the conch. The porosity of hyolith conch reflects not only special physiological and ecological function of the hyoliths to environment but also one of its primitive features and its special position in the early biomineranization.

Project Supported:

Clc Number:

Q915.6