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The protection zone of Chengjiang fossil lagerstätte

	China (Asia and the Pacific)
Date of Submission:	05/07/2005
Category:	Natural
Submitted by:	Ministry of Construction of People's Republic of China 9 Sanlihe Road Beijing, 100835
Coordinates:	N 24°39'30’’ E 102°57'30"
Ref.:	2045

Description

Located in the regions of "Chengjiang Nature Reserve" and the "Chengjiang Fauna National Geographic Park", the Chengjiang fossil lagerstätte centers around the Maotian Mountain, stretches out to the neighboring Ma'an Hill, Xiao Lantian, Dapotou and Jiucun village, and covers an area of some 1800 hectares. The Chengjiang lagerstätte is so far the best fauna discovered in the West of Yunnan with the most diversified life forms, most abundant and best preserved fossils and with the highest comprehensive value and research values. "Chengjiang Fauna" refers to the "soft-bodied trilobite and arthropod fossils embedded in the yellow and green shale of the Yu'an Mountain, Qiongzhusi formation (Early Precarnbrian 530 million years ago) (J.W.Cowie 1993). The shale which contains the Chengjiang fossils stretches clearly from south to the north within tile boundary of the biota, clear layers could be seen from the exposed parts on earth. Chengjiang lagerstätte is divided into the core zone and the buffer zone. The core zone covers an area of 240 ha, with the Peak of Maotian Mountain as the highest point which is 2026.8 meters above sea level. The zone stretches out slowly and shale layers containing the fossils are exposed in large areas in this zone. The buffer zone covers an area of 1,560 ha. The earth layers stretch evenly. The cross section where fossils concentrate scatters at the western edges of the biota. The biota demonstrates different features due to verified structures of the shale. Chengjiang fossils are found in the yellow-green shale of thin-bedded mud and the fossil specimen shows pink color. The preservation of the animals resulting from rapid burial has prevented the bodies from destruction, and the soft bodied animals were preserved in different layers of shale. Thus, the details of the fossil structure could be observed under a microscope. Therefore, the Chengjiang fauna fossils are able to provide more information on the origin and evolution of life, providing valuable evidences to "Cambrian Explosion'' research. (The Big Bang'). The taxa described from '' Chengjiang Fauna" covers 197 species and 175 genera. Chengjiang Fauna, along with the Burgess Shale Fauna of west Canada and the Ediacaran Fauna of South Australia are titled the "Three faunas of the evolution of early life forms". Chengjiang Fauna Fossils serve as a link between the past and future in terms of the early evolution of life. Chengjiang Fauna takes the place in-between of other two faunas, no matter if being compared vertically or horizontally. Vertically, Chengjiang Fauna (530 million years ago) is in between of the Ediacaran fauna (570-670 million years ago) and Buegess Shale Fauna (51 5 million years ago). Therefore, Chengjiang fauna contains the decedents of creatures belonging to the Ediacaran Fauna, meanwhile the ancestors of Burgess Shale Fauna life forms could also be found. Horizontally, Chengjiang biota lies in the middle of the Australian Ediacaran Biota to the south, and the northern Burgess Shale Biota to the west (closer to the Ediacaran Fauna), it is like a link inheriting the past and ushering in the future. There are a lot of surprising discoveries among the Chengjiang fossils, including the most ancient chordates and lower vertebrates, protostomes, deuterostomes and the ancestors of many animals. Chengjiang lagerstätte has been considered the best window on the research of marine life, the ecological system and food chain dating back to 530 million years ago. The most valuable include the repeated discovery of diverse chordates and lower vertebrates not only put the origin of vertebrates 50 million years' earlier. For example, in 1991, Hou Xianguang, who discovered the first Chengjiang fossils, together with others confirmed the Yunnannozoon Lividum was a chordate. In 1996, Shu Degan and his colleges discovered the cephalochordate, Cathaymyrus diadexus ( 384.157-1 58). In 1999, Chen Junyuan and his colleges discovered Haikouelk Lanceolata. In 1996, Shu Degan and his colleges discovered fish-shaped animals Haikouelk lanceotata and Cathayrnyrus knikouensis. In 2001, Shu Degan reported the discovery of Tunicate Cheungkangella ancestralis. In 2001, Chen Junyuan discovered tunicate, Shankouclava shanneloensis. Many animals' ancestors were also discovered among the Chengjiang fossils. For example, in 1994, Hou Ximguang discovered the ancestor of modem insects, Fuxianhuia. In 2003, Shu Degan discovered the ancestor of echinodemata (crinoids). In 2004 Han Yim, and his colleges discovered the direct ancestor of Gill Flukes Xiaohaiqingella and Yunnanopriapulus. Research of Chengjiang Fauna Fossils corrects the errors of previous fossil researches. For example, between 1990 and 1992 Chen Junyuan and others discovered the complete specimen of Wiwaxia, which changed the view that Wiwaxis was annelid. The discovery and research on the Lobopodia family corrected the Burgess Shale fauna research. The Discovery of Microdictgyon corrects the conclusion of Burgess Shale Research that considers part of the Skelton as a whole animal body. Chengjiang lagerstätte was discovered on July 1st, 1984 by Professor Hou Xianguang from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since Pro Hou's discovery, many state scientific and research institutions and scientists have realized the importance of the fossil site. Research groups have been organized, funds have been allocated and facilities have been set up to launch large scale research activities. As a result of she research, the general look md description of Chengjiang Fauna will be introduced to public and shared with scientists and paleontologists throughout the world. Meanwhile, intentional cooperation has been launched and many leading scientists have participated in the research work of Chengjiang Fauna Advanced technologies including the Isotope Dating, Biota research, Fauna research, and other relative research have been carried out to thoroughly reflect the true look of the Chengjiang Fauna. The pattern of research of the Chengjiang Fauna sets a model for the research of early life.