Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
A. J. Shore, R. A. Wood, I. B. Butler, A. Yu Zhuravlev, S. McMahon, A. Curtis, F. T. Bowyer
Summary: Through exceptional preservation, a phylogenetic connection between Ediacaran and Cambrian metazoans is established. The discovery of three-dimensional, pyritized soft tissue in Namacalathus provides evidence of a lophotrochozoan affinity and suggests deep roots of modern lophotrochozoan phyla in the Ediacaran period. This supports molecular phylogenies and demonstrates the early development of biomineralization abilities in these ancient organisms.
Article
Biology
Luoyang Li, Marissa J. Betts, Hao Yun, Bing Pan, Timothy P. Topper, Guoxiang Li, Xingliang Zhang, Christian B. Skovsted
Summary: This study reveals that the skeletons of early Cambrian mollusks and hyoliths are composed of fibrous microstructures made of calcite, which had not been discovered before. Additionally, it shows that the shells of these early animals were mainly composed of aragonite. This has important implications for understanding the significance of early biomineralization and its relationship with seawater chemistry.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhiliang Zhang, Zhifei Zhang, Junye Ma, Paul D. Taylor, Luke C. Strotz, Sarah M. Jacquet, Christian B. Skovsted, Feiyang Chen, Jian Han, Glenn A. Brock
Summary: Bryozoans, also known as ectoprocts or moss animals, are aquatic, primarily sessile, filter-feeding lophophorates that construct an organic or calcareous colonial exoskeleton. Fossils of Protomelission gatehousei from the early Cambrian of Australia and South China have been identified as potential stem-group bryozoans, pushing back the origin of the phylum Bryozoa by approximately 35 million years and aligning it with other skeletonized phyla in the Cambrian Age 3. This discovery reconciles the fossil record with molecular clock estimations of an early Cambrian origin and subsequent Ordovician radiation of Bryozoa following the acquisition of a carbonate skeleton.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jianxiang Ma, Pengchuan Sun, Dandan Wang, Zhenyue Wang, Jiao Yang, Ying Li, Wenjie Mu, Renping Xu, Ying Wu, Congcong Dong, Nawal Shrestha, Jianquan Liu, Yongzhi Yang
Summary: The study reports the high-quality genome of Chloranthus sessilifolius, revealing the genome duplication within the species and the phylogenetic relationships with other Mesangiospermae lineages. Additionally, the findings suggest that both hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting may have contributed to the phylogenetic incongruities.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Dan Zeng, Ximing Guo
Summary: This study investigates the growth of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica at molecular levels by sequencing and comparing the mantle transcriptomes of large and small oysters. The results reveal differentially expressed genes related to shell formation and growth, and identify novel candidate genes and markers associated with these processes. The study also suggests the importance of both transcriptional modulation and functional polymorphism in determining growth.
MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emanuel M. Avrahami, Lothar Houben, Lior Aram, Assaf Gal
Summary: This study reveals that complex crystalline morphologies can be achieved by manipulating the growth rate. Using electron tomography, the researchers examined the development of coccolith crystals in three dimensions and found that the crystals express only one set of symmetry-related crystallographic facets, with the positioning of the crystals along specific edges contributing to morphological chirality.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Wenhua Xue, Shan Li, Huolun He, Shizhen Zhi, Xiaofang Li, Fengxian Bai, Chen Chen, Jun Mao, Yumei Wang, Qian Zhang
Summary: The microstructures of undoped SnSe and Bi-doped Sn0.97SeBi0.03 were investigated using transmission electron microscopy. A characteristic microstructure of lath-like grains was observed in SnSe based compounds. Moreover, a large quantity of low-angle grain boundaries and a high concentration of edge dislocations and stacking faults were found in the grains. These microstructures result in lattice mismatch and distortion, and can act as the phonon scattering centers, broadening the understanding of the low thermal conductivity of SnSe based compounds.
Article
Biology
ZhiFei Zhang, Martin R. Smith, XinYi Ren
Summary: The main animal lineages diversified in the Cambrian period, while the diversity at lower taxonomic ranks emerged gradually over the next 500 million years. Annelid worms appear to follow this pattern, with early-diverging crown-group annelids found in Cambrian Burgess Shale deposits and more derived polychaete families appearing in later periods. However, the discovery of 15 new fossils of the 'phoronid' Iotuba chengjiangensis challenges this view, as they exhibit similarities to derived polychaete families, indicating an earlier origin of modern annelid diversity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Luoyang Li, Christian B. Skovsted, Timothy P. Topper
Summary: This study investigates the occurrence of the early Cambrian stem-group gastropod Pelagiella madianensis and the problematic hyolith Cupitheca sp., providing insights into the origin and early evolution of the aragonitic crossed-lamellar (CL) microstructure in molluscan shells. The findings reveal the presence of the CL microstructure in early Cambrian gastropods and confirm its existence in hyoliths. This study contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary origin and architectural diversity of biomineralized mollusc shells during the Cambrian explosion, and strengthens the phylogenetic links between hyoliths and molluscs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cong Liu, Dongjing Fu, Xingliang Zhang
Summary: This study describes the postembryonic development of a Waptiid arthropod from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota in South China, revealing a complex dynamic pattern of development and a three-step process of segmentogenesis. These findings are important for understanding the rapid diversification of arthropods in the early Cambrian.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yoko Fujita-Fujiharu, Yukihiko Sugita, Yuki Takamatsu, Kazuya Houri, Manabu Igarashi, Yukiko Muramoto, Masahiro Nakano, Yugo Tsunoda, Ichiro Taniguchi, Stephan Becker, Takeshi Noda
Summary: This study determines the structure of the Marburg virus nucleoprotein-RNA complex and provides mechanistic insight into the helical assembly of the nucleocapsid.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ruiwen Zong, Russell D. C. Bicknell
Summary: This article reports an injured trilobite fossil from the Cambrian period in western Hunan, China, providing evidence of shell-crushing predation during the Cambrian. This predatory approach maximized energy gain and was highly efficient.
Article
Biology
Baihui Wu, Hanzhi Zhang, Menghan Zhang
Summary: The origin of tone, or tonogenesis, is a fascinating aspect of language evolution and human cognition. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of tones in tonal languages, but they have not been quantitatively tested. In this study, we analyzed 106 Sino-Tibetan languages, of which around 70% are tonal, to investigate the likelihood of different tonogenetic mechanisms. Our results showed a strong phylogenetic pattern in the presence of tones, suggesting that Proto-Sino-Tibetan languages were most likely non-tonal. We also found that tonal origin was associated with specific phonological changes, such as the loss of syllable-final consonants and changes in vowel quality.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Parisa Torabi, Giulia Rivasi, Viktor Hamrefors, Andrea Ungar, Richard Sutton, Michele Brignole, Artur Fedorowski
Summary: The age at first syncope impacts the final diagnosis, with a bimodal distribution of first-ever syncope incidence. Older patients are more likely to present recent syncope with orthostatic hypotension and carotid sinus syndrome being more common. In patients with early-onset syncope, vasovagal and complex syncope are more common.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Gerald Langer, Alison R. Taylor, Charlotte E. Walker, Erin M. Meyer, Oz Ben Joseph, Assaf Gal, Glenn M. Harper, Ian Probert, Colin Brownlee, Glen L. Wheeler
Summary: The development of coccolithophores' calcification had a significant impact on ocean carbon cycling. Holococcoliths and heterococcoliths are formed in different life cycle stages but share similar characteristics. Holococcoliths represent an ancestral form of calcification in coccolithophores.
Article
Paleontology
Hao Yun, Xingliang Zhang, Luoyang Li, Bing Pan, Guoxiang Li, Glenn A. Brock
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Luoyang Li, Xingliang Zhang, Christian B. Skovsted, Hao Yun, Guoxiang Li, Bing Pan
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Hao Yun, Glenn A. Brock, Xingliang Zhang, Luoyang Li, Diego C. Garcia-Bellido, John R. Paterson
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biology
Luoyang Li, Christian B. Skovsted, Hao Yun, Marissa J. Betts, Xingliang Zhang
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Feiyang Chen, Glenn A. Brock, Marissa J. Betts, Zhiliang Zhang, Hao Yun, Robert Matthew Klaebe, Brittany Laing, Zhifei Zhang
Summary: The study focuses on the advancements made in biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, and isotope chemostratigraphy of the lower Cambrian successions in South Australia, particularly in the Arrowie Basin. By analyzing sedimentological, biostratigraphic, and chemostratigraphic data in the eastern Stansbury Basin, the research provides insights into the deepening depositional environment and older age of the lower Heatherdale Shale. The integrated study enhances regional chronostratigraphic resolution and interbasinal correlation, contributing to a better understanding of the depositional setting in the lower Cambrian package in South Australia.
GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE
(2021)
Article
Geology
Hao Yun, Xingliang Zhang, Glenn A. Brock, Luoyang Li, Guoxiang Li
Summary: Chancelloriids, extinct animals from the Cambrian explosion, have a unique body plan and sclerites, leading to controversy over their phylogenetic position within Metazoa. Research indicates that their sclerites possess an organic layer and aragonitic layer, likely mineralized through a template-based strategy. This supports the hypothesis that chancelloriids represent an epitheliozoan-grade animal exploring early biomineralization methods.
Article
Geography, Physical
Luoyang Li, Christian B. Skovsted, Tao Dai, Hao Yun, Dongjing Fu, Xingliang Zhang
Summary: Qingjianglepas elegans is a unique limpet-shaped shell found in the 518 million-year-old Qingjiang biota in China. The shell exhibits distinctive features similar to some modern fissurellids, and its abrupt ontogenetic change suggests a possible shift in microhabitat throughout growth. This discovery extends the morphological diversity of Cambrian mollusks and sheds light on the evolution of conchiferans.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Hao Yun, Linhao Cui, Luoyang Li, Wei Liu, Xingliang Zhang
Summary: The study reveals that uniquely pyritized chancelloriid sclerites exhibit distinctive microstructures similar to those seen in phosphatized fossils of chancelloriids. Advanced analytic techniques confirm that chancelloriids were originally constructed by fibrous aragonite, and their stability in different backgrounds suggests an adaptation to various living environments.
Article
Geography, Physical
Wei Liu, Chao Chang, Hao Yun, Linhao Cui, Xingliang Zhang
Summary: Microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) are microbial traces found in sandy deposits, such as the biolaminite in the Guojiaba Formation. They are formed by microbial growth, with light layers representing normal background deposition and dark layers rich in organic material and microbial communities.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Hao Yun, Cui Luo, Chao Chang, Luoyang Li, Joachim Reitner, Xingliang Zhang
Summary: Sponge fossils from the Cambrian black shales have been of interest due to their diversity, preservation, and adaptation to inhospitable environments. A new species of hexactinellid sponge, S. tentoriformis, with a unique dendriform body shape, has been discovered in the Qingjiang biota. This body shape represents an adaptation to deep-water, oxygen-deficient conditions, aiding in oxygen utilization and energy conservation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Chao Chang, Zhenfei Wang, Kang-Jun Huang, Hao Yun, Xingliang Zhang, Eva Stueeken
Summary: This study investigates the geochemical characteristics of the early-Cambrian Shuijingtuo Formation in Hubei Province, South China, and reveals the oxygenation history and nitrogen cycling during the Cambrian explosion. The findings suggest a progressive oxygenation of the depositional environment and a nitrogen isotopic gradient between the Qingjiang and Chengjiang areas, indicating different nitrate availability in seawater.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Biology
Luoyang Li, Marissa J. Betts, Hao Yun, Bing Pan, Timothy P. Topper, Guoxiang Li, Xingliang Zhang, Christian B. Skovsted
Summary: This study reveals that the skeletons of early Cambrian mollusks and hyoliths are composed of fibrous microstructures made of calcite, which had not been discovered before. Additionally, it shows that the shells of these early animals were mainly composed of aragonite. This has important implications for understanding the significance of early biomineralization and its relationship with seawater chemistry.
Article
Biology
Tingzu Peng, Yuning Yang, Hao Yun, Xinglian Yang, Qianqian Zhang, Min He, Xiangri Chi, Jing Liu, Xi Liu
Summary: Diverse chancelloriids from two sections of the Kaili Biota in Guizhou Province, China are described, including 3 genera and 6 species. Two new species, Ar. anchoriformis and Ch. zhaoi, are identified and their unique characteristics are analyzed. The study also recognizes two flourishing ages of chancelloriids based on their distribution in South China.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Hao Yun, Joachim Reitner, Xingliang Zhang
Summary: Chancelloriids are problematic fossils with bag-shaped bodies and mineralized sclerites. Dimidia, previously considered a junior synonym of Allonnia, is described for the first time based on complete body specimens from the Chengjiang biota. The dense and symmetrical sclerites of Dimidia represent an intermediate type among chancelloriids, and their remains have been found across different regions and stages of the Cambrian. The discovery of complete Dimidia bodies contributes to understanding the taxonomy and phylogenetic affinity of other small shelly fossils.
Article
Paleontology
Luoyang Li, Xingliang Zhang, Christian B. Skovsted, Hao Yun, Bing Pan, Guoxiang Li
Summary: A diverse group of molluscs from the Cambrian Series 2 in the North China Block is described, showing similarities with contemporaneous faunas in other regions. A new species is proposed based on the study of specimens, and a unique muscle structure was observed, contributing to the classification of these Cambrian molluscs.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
