Gaoyuzhuang Formation

Gaoyuzhuang Formation
Stratigraphic range: 1588.8±6.5 Ma [1]
Type	Formation
Underlies	Yangzhuang Formation
Overlies	Dahongyu Formation
Thickness	~1800 m
Location
Country	China

The Gaoyuzhuang Formation is a geologic formation in China. It preserves fossils dating back to the Calymmian period of the Mesoproterozoic. It is one of the first formations to preserve definitive macroscopic eukaryotes, at almost 1.6 billion years old.[2] In addition to this, the site preserves a diverse microbiota with various cyanobacteria and fungus-like fossils known.[3]

Paleobiota

After Chen et al., 2023[2] and Shi et al., 2017.[3]

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Paleobiota

Paleobiota
Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Grandilingulata	G. qianxiensis	Enigmatic frond-like organism	A restoration of Grandilingulata qianxiensis
Tuanshanzia	T. linearis T. parva T. fasciata	Enigmatic frond-like organism; possibly within Archaeplastida	A restoration of Tuanshanzia fasciaria
Proterotainia	P. sp	Enigmatic filamentous organism, possibly within Vendotaenida.	A restoration of Proterotainia sp.
Siphonophycus	S. thulenema S. robustum S. typicum S. solidum	Cyanobacteria
Oscillatoriopsis	O. obtusa O. amadeus O. longa O. princeps O. gigas	Cyanobacteria
Veteronostocale	V. majusculus V. grandis	Cyanobacteria
Cyanonema	C. attenuate C. grandis	Cyanobacteria
Palaeolyngbya	P. catenata	Cyanobacteria
Arctacellularia	A. ellipsoidea	Cyanobacteria
Chlorogloeaopsis	C. contexta	Cyanobacteria
Archaeoellipsoides	A. sp	Cyanobacteria
Obruchevella	O. pussila O. sp	Cyanobacteria, commonly found in Neoproterozoic sediments
Coniunctiophycus	C. sp C. majorinum	Acritarch
Clonophycus	C. sp	Acritarch
Leiosphaeridia	L. sp	Acritarch
Leioarachnitum	L. sp	Acritarch

In addition to these fossils, five unnamed forms are also known. Forms A and B are only known from one specimen, Form C is too fragmentary to be named, and Forms D and E bear no resemblance to any plant, prokaryote, animal or protist. However, various hyphomycetous fungi do form similar structures to forms D and E, thus they may be within this group.[3]

References

1. Chen, Kai; Yang, Chuan; Miao, Lanyun; Zhao, Fangchen; Zhu, Maoyan (2024). "New SIMS U–Pb zircon age on the macroscopic multicellular eukaryotes from the early Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation, North China". Geological Magazine. 161. Bibcode:2024GeoM..161E...2C. doi:10.1017/S0016756824000220.
2. Chen, Kai; Miao, Lanyun; Zhao, Fangchen; Zhu, Maoyan (July 2023). "Carbonaceous macrofossils from the early Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation in the Yanshan Range, North China". Precambrian Research. 392: 107074. Bibcode:2023PreR..39207074C. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2023.107074.
3. Shi, Min; Feng, Qinglai; Khan, Maliha Zareen; Zhu, Shixing (December 2017). "An eukaryote-bearing microbiota from the early mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation, Tianjin, China and its significance". Precambrian Research. 303: 709–726. Bibcode:2017PreR..303..709S. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2017.09.013.