NOTES ON THE SHIPAI BIOTA (CAMBRIAN SERIES 2,STAGE 4)YIELDED FROM A NEW SECTION (XIACHAZHUANG)IN THE MAOPING TOWN OF ZIGUI COUNTY,WESTERN HUBEI PROVINCE,SOUTH CHINA
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Abstract:
Fossil fauna from the Shipai Formation(Cambrian Series 2,Stage 4)were discovered by Zhang and Hua(2005)near the northern bank of the Yangtze River near Wangjiaping village,western Hubei Province. At this locality,the Shipai Formation is poorly exposed and is now covered by vegetation and buildings, making further collection difficult.However,a new road cut close to Xiachazhuang village,has exposed208 mthickness of the Shipai Formation,which is well exposed and hosts abundant fauna.Fossils yielded from this new locality include brachiopods,hyoliths, arthropods, paleoscolecids(Cycloneuralia), sponges, chancelloriids and some problematic organisms.The fauna occurs most abundantly in three stratigraphic horizons:(1)a green-yellowish silty mudstone(Palaeolenus lantenoisi trilobite zone)ca.120 mfrom the base of the Shipai Formation.This level yields a rich fossil assemblage including brachiopods such as Eohadrotreta sp.,abundant hyoliths,a wide variety of arthropods,paleoscolecids,sponge and chancelloriid sclerites;(2) a green-grayish siltstone,ca.30 m above horizon 1,where the brachiopod Eoobolus sp.is particularly abundant;(3)the top black-grayish silty shale(roughly corresponding to Redlichia meitanensis trilobite Zone), ca. 50 m above horizon 2, with brachiopods such as Kutorgina sp.and Nisusia sp.The Shipai fauna has general similarities with the Guanshan Fauna from eastern Yunnan.The preliminary fossil collection of the Shipai Fauna in the Xiachazhuang section demonstrates that this fossil locality has excellent potential to yield additional,well-preserved fossils,which will be critical for understanding the Cambrian Explosion in South China.
