Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shengguang Chen, Xinglian Yang, Xiong Liu, Zhengpeng Chen, Zhixin Sun, Fangchen Zhao
Summary: This study investigates the moult configurations of Oryctocephalus indicus and provides new materials for studying moulting behaviour in oryctocephalid trilobites. The findings are important for understanding the moulting behavior of trilobites.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhengpeng Chen, Yuanlong Zhao, Xinglian Yang, Jorge Esteve, Xiong Liu, Shengguang Chen
Summary: The evolution process can be reconstructed by tracking the changes in the dynamic characters of life cycles. Trilobite evolutionary patterns are studied using related trilobites from the Cambrian of South China, providing additional information due to previous incomplete fossil records. The study discusses the ontogeny of Balangia and Duyunaspis, revealing a directional evolution in their exoskeletal morphology. Based on the evolutionary changes observed, it is speculated that Duyunaspis evolved from Balangia instead of the previous assumption of Balangia evolving from Duyunaspis. The findings also support the inference made by the phylogenetic tree.
Article
Paleontology
Yifan Wang, Jin Peng, Qiujun Wang, Rongqin Wen, Hui Zhang, Guangying Du, Yunbin Shao
Summary: Understanding the moulting behavior of trilobites through different growth stages, this study focuses on the detailed exploration of moulting behaviors in Arthricocephalites xinzhaiheensis based on a large number of disarticulated specimens. The findings show that the trilobites commonly utilized cephalic sutures and cephalothoracic joint for moulting, involving rotation or inversion of the cranidium to create a wide exuvial gape.
Article
Geography, Physical
Russell D. C. Bicknell, James D. Holmes, Stephen Pates, Diego C. Garcia-Bellido, John R. Paterson
Summary: The Cambrian explosion marked the rapid development of complex marine ecosystems on Earth due to predator-prey interactions, which led to the evolution of biomineralised exoskeletons and shell-crushing predators. Injured trilobite specimens from Kangaroo Island, South Australia show evidence of attacks mostly on the posterior thorax, suggesting predators attacked from behind. Larger individuals were more likely to survive attacks and exhibit healed injuries, indicating smaller individuals were likely consumed during an attack.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zhiliang Zhang, Mansoureh Ghobadi Pour, Leonid E. Popov, Lars E. Holmer, Feiyang Chen, Yanlong Chen, Glenn A. Brock, Zhifei Zhang
Summary: This study in South China reveals the oldest Cambrian brachiopod-trilobite association, providing potential for stratigraphic correlation. The new species Eoobolus incipiens represents one of the earliest linguliform brachiopods.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Song Zuchen, Guo Junfeng, Han Jian, Heyo Van Iten, Qiang Yaqin, Peng Jiaxin, Sun Jie, Zhang Zhifei
Summary: Hexangulaconulariids are extinct medusozoan small shelly fossils that played an important role in the early Cambrian shallow marine platform ecosystems in South China. This study introduces a new species, Septuconularia crassiformis, found in the Yanjiahe Formation in Hubei Province. The new species differs from known species in the shape of the abapical portion and curvature of the adapertural margin. However, the anatomy of the apical portion remains unknown. The study also revises the diagnosis of the genus Septuconularia and summarizes the spatio-temporal distribution of hexangulaconulariids in South China. S. yanjiaheensis may have been better adapted to the shallow platform environment than S. crassiformis.
ACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA-ENGLISH EDITION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yu Liu, Gregory D. Edgecombe, Michel Schmidt, Andrew D. Bond, Roland R. Melzer, Dayou Zhai, Huijuan Mai, Maoyin Zhang, Xianguang Hou
Summary: This study reveals the presence of exites at the base of most appendages in the Cambrian arthropod Leanchoilia, suggesting a deeper origin for exites in arthropod phylogeny. The discovery of a previously undetected exite at the base of appendages sheds new light on the evolutionary history of arthropods.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Russell D. C. Bicknell, James D. Holmes, Gregory D. Edgecombe, Sarah R. Losso, Javier Ortega-Hernandez, Stephen Wroe, John R. Paterson
Summary: The study suggests that Cambrian euarthropods with transversely elongate protopodites bearing short, robust gnathobasic spines were likely durophages, while taxa with shorter protopodites armed with long spines were more likely restricted to a soft food diet.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Hua-Qiao Zhang
Summary: A new assemblage of dabashanellids, including five species of Dabashanella and five indeterminate forms of arthropods, has been reported from the Cambrian Stage 3 Shuijingtuo Formation in western Hubei Province, South China. These sub-millimetre-sized specimens are preserved as three-dimensional carbonaceous hollow shields and represent part of a meiofauna living in the off-shore, deeper environments of mid-northern Yangtze Sea during the Cambrian Age 3. The study reveals greater morphological diversity and ecological disparity of dabashanellid crustaceans.
Article
Geography, Physical
Fan Liu, Christian B. Skovsted, Timothy P. Topper, ZhiFei Zhang
Summary: This study presents remarkably preserved hyolithids from the Guanshan Biota in Yunnan Province, China, providing new evidence for the internal structure and soft tissue preservation of these animals and contributing to the reconstruction of hyolithid anatomy. The research reveals that the gut anatomy of hyolithids was evolutionarily conservative from the early Cambrian through to at least the Ordovician period.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Yazhou Hu, Dirk Knaust, Yue Liang, Lars E. Holmer, Zhifei Zhang
Summary: Recent excavations at the Guanshan biota in eastern Yunnan Province, South China, have revealed diverse burrows with fecal pellets, possibly produced by polychaetes and priapulid worms, suggesting the establishment of various digestive methods around 510 million years ago in the Cambrian Stage 4. The discovery of these burrows with fecal pellets indicates the early origins of diverse deposit-feeding strategies in worms.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yaqin Qiang, Jiaxin Peng, Zuchen Song, Jie Sun, Xiaofang Zhao, Guoxiang Li, Jian Han, Junfeng Guo
Summary: New well-preserved specimens of Anabarella were found in the Yanjiahe Formation in the Three Gorges area, confirming the presence of A. plana and revising the taxonomy of the genus in South China. The microstructures of A. plana suggest that it may have had a semi-infaunal mode of life and indicate its potential ancestral relationship with Watsonella.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Hongjie Zhang, Haifeng Fan, Fang Zhang, Hanjie Wen
Summary: The study found that during the late Ediacaran to early Cambrian, there were common hypersaline conditions in shallow-water environments and brackish to normal seawater salinity in middle- to deep-water environments in the Nanhua Basin. Two transient low-salinity intervals were observed in the shallow-water regions due to increased freshwater inputs. The study also revealed that high salinity restricts metazoan diversification, while the combination of normal seawater salinity and oxic watermass promotes biological explosion.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Shu-han Zhang, Jun-xuan Fan, Chad A. Morgan, Charles M. Henderson, Shu-zhong Shen
Summary: This study examines the trilobite diversity pattern in the middle-late Cambrian of South China, constructing a high time-resolution species-level richness curve and identifying distinct changes in species diversity at different stages, as well as exploring trilobite evolutionary mechanisms associated with environmental changes and biotic competition.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Zuchen Song, Junfeng Guo, Bing Pan, Yaqin Qiang, Guoxiang Li, Jiaxin Peng, Jie Sun, Jian Han
Summary: New materials of Ocruranus and Eohalobia sclerites discovered in the Yanjiahe Formation provide new insights into reconstructing the original scleritome of these species.
Article
Biology
Wang Dezhi, Peng Jin, Jorge Esteve, Yuning Yang, Wen Rongqin
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Geology
J. Esteve, Y. L. Zhao, X. L. Yang
ESTUDIOS GEOLOGICOS-MADRID
(2019)
Editorial Material
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
J. Javier Alvaro, Jorge Esteve
GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alejandro Corrales-Garcia, Jorge Esteve, Yuanlong Zhao, Xinglian Yang
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Paleontology
Jorge Esteve, Jordi Marce-Nogue, Francesc Perez-Peris, Emily Rayfield
Summary: Arthropods are characterized by segmented bodies, jointed limbs, and hard cuticles, with trilobites being a successful but now extinct group within this phylum. The presence of facial sutures in trilobites allowed them to withstand greater burrowing loads and invade bioturbated and more consolidated sediments, contributing to their evolutionary success in the Cambrian and Ordovician periods. Biomechanical modeling showed that facial sutures exist in regions of low stress during burrowing, providing insights into the structural advantages of sutured trilobites.
Article
Biology
Jorge Esteve, Matheo Lopez, Carlos-Guillermo Ramirez, Ivan Gomez
Summary: Colonization of the water column by animals occurred gradually during the early Palaeozoic. Trilobites are a good model to explore the colonization of marine ecosystems. CFD simulations show that Placopara was not able to swim, but its hydrodynamics allowed it to hop long distances.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Maria Gabriela Suarez, Jorge Esteve
Summary: Morphological analysis of trilobite cephalic shape reveals patterns of diversity and disparity. Trilobites without interlocking devices exhibit more flexible head shapes, allowing for broader ecological niche occupancy, while lower disparity constrains adaptation ability. Increases in morpho-functional diversity and disparity coincide with early Paleozoic radiations and the Carboniferous-Permian biodiversification event.
Article
Paleontology
Zhengpeng Chen, Yuanlong Zhao, Xinglian Yang, Jorge Esteve, Xiong Liu, Shengguang Chen, Rong Feng
Summary: This study analyzes the intergeneric, interspecific, and intraspecific variations of the Cambrian oryctocephalid trilobites Duyunaspis and Balangia from Jianhe, South China using geometric morphometrics. The results suggest that the predominant variation of Duyunaspis and Balangia is the presence or absence of the glabellar furrow. Interspecific variations of Duyunaspis mainly lie in the types of facial suture, occipital ring, and glabella.
Article
Paleontology
Jorge Esteve, Maria Gabriela Suarez
Summary: The advent of new mathematical methods enables multidimensional analyses of traits. The choice of a single disparity index may limit the interpretation of morphological variation within a taxonomical group. The use of two disparity indexes enriches the work and the interpretation relies on the analyzed ecomorphological dataset. An accurate dataset is crucial, as taxonomic mistakes and ecological misinterpretations are inevitable, and continuous updating is mandatory. The updated dataset, with appropriate indexes and resampling, reveals a complex scenario in the evolution of trilobites throughout the Palaeozoic.
Article
Biology
Jorge Esteve, Nigel C. C. Hughes
Summary: Three-dimensional models show how the exoskeletal enrolment mechanics changed during the development of the 429-million-year-old trilobite Aulacopleura koninckii. The researchers found that the style of enrolment shifted from sphaeroidal to non-sphaeoridal as the trilobite matured and needed to maintain effective exoskeletal shielding. This change in enrolment accommodated the species' variation in mature trunk segments and suggests adaptation to a physically challenging, low oxygen environment.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jorge Esteve, Yuan-Long Zhao, Xing-Lian Yang
Summary: Studies on morphological variation are crucial for chrono- and biostratigraphy. This study analyses three populations of the genus Protoryctocephalus, revealing that the morphological variability observed is taphonomically controlled and not biologically induced. The results suggest that Protoryctocephalus arcticus from the 'Tsinghsutung' Formation is suitable for international correlation, and further studies should focus on ontogeny, segment development, and fluctuating asymmetry.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhengpeng Chen, Yuanlong Zhao, Xinglian Yang, Jorge Esteve, Xiong Liu, Shengguang Chen
Summary: The evolution process can be reconstructed by tracking the changes in the dynamic characters of life cycles. Trilobite evolutionary patterns are studied using related trilobites from the Cambrian of South China, providing additional information due to previous incomplete fossil records. The study discusses the ontogeny of Balangia and Duyunaspis, revealing a directional evolution in their exoskeletal morphology. Based on the evolutionary changes observed, it is speculated that Duyunaspis evolved from Balangia instead of the previous assumption of Balangia evolving from Duyunaspis. The findings also support the inference made by the phylogenetic tree.
Proceedings Paper
Education & Educational Research
Carme Huguet, Jill Pearse, Jorge Esteve
Summary: The new teaching strategies improved students' learning and independence through tools such as self-assessment quizzes, class presentations, and online access to course materials. However, more efforts are needed to enhance class dynamics, improve student motivation, and address the challenges of intrinsic motivation in a 100% virtual course.
7TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES (HEAD'21)
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
J. Javier Alvaro, Jorge Esteve, Fernando Gracia, Samuel Zamora
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2019)