List of small shelly fossil taxa

This is a list of small shelly fossils of prehistoric marine animals, ordered by their type.

Whole-organism

"Small shellies" in context

−590 —

–

−580 —

–

−570 —

–

−560 —

–

−550 —

–

−540 —

–

−530 —

–

−520 —

–

−510 —

Ediacaran

Cambrian

←

Small shelly fauna

←

Ediacara biota

←

Maotianshan shales

←

Tommotian age

←

Cambrian explosion, if sudden

←

Ediacaran shelly fauna

Neoproterozoic
(last era of the Precambrian)

Palæozoic
(first era of the Phanerozoic)

Axis scale: millions of years ago.

References for dates:
Ediacara biota^[1]
Small shelly fauna^[2], but may have been longer^[3]^[4]
Tommotian age^[5]
Cambrian explosion^[6]

Maotianshan shales^[7]

Namacalathus

Monoplacophoran-like

Yochelsoniella

Scleritome elements

Elements of a scleritome, resembling Halkieria:^{[clarification needed]}

Halkieria

Probable palaeoscolecid worm sclerites:

Tomotiid-like sclerites:

Conical

Problematic cones:

Probable Lobopodian sclerites:

Net-like

Sponge spicule-like

Chancelloria

Tubular

References

Inline citations

^ Brasier, M. & Antcliffe, J. (20 August 2004). "Decoding the Ediacaran Enigma". Science. 305 (5687): 1115–1117. doi:10.1126/science.1102673. PMID 15326344. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
^ Bengtson, S. (2004). Lipps, J.H.; Waggoner, B.M. (eds.). "Early skeletal fossils" (PDF). Neoproterozoic- Cambrian Biological Revolutions. Paleontological Society Papers. 10: 67–78. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
^ Porter, S.M. (April 2004). "Closing the Phosphatization Window: Testing for the Influence of Taphonomic Megabias on the Pattern of Small Shelly Fossil Decline" (PDF). PALAIOS. 19 (2): 178–183. doi:10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0178:CTPWTF>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
^ Dzik, J. (1994). "Evolution of 'small shelly fossils' assemblages of the early Paleozoic". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 39 (3): 27–313. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
^ "The Tommotian Age". Retrieved 2008-07-30.
^ Cowen, R. (2000). History of Life (3rd ed.). Blackwell Science. p. 63. ISBN 0-632-04444-6.
^ Hou, X-G; Aldridge, R.J.; Bengstrom, J.; Siveter, D.J. & Feng, X-H (2004). The Cambrian Fossils of Chengjiang, China. Blackwell Science. p. 233.

Resources referenced

A further list available in Li, G.; Steiner, M.; Zhu, X.; Yang, A.; Wang, H.; Erdtmann, B. D. (2007). "Early Cambrian metazoan fossil record of South China: Generic diversity and radiation patterns". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 254 (1–2): 229–249. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.03.017.
More in Steiner, M.; Li, G.; Qian, Y.; Zhu, M. (2004). "Lower Cambrian Small Shelly Fossils of northern Sichuan and southern Shaanxi (China), and their biostratigraphic importance". Geobios. 37 (2): 259. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2003.08.001.

[1] Brasier, M. & Antcliffe, J. (20 August 2004). "Decoding the Ediacaran Enigma". Science. 305 (5687): 1115–1117. doi:10.1126/science.1102673. PMID 15326344. Retrieved 2008-07-18.

[Bengtson2004-2] Bengtson, S. (2004). Lipps, J.H.; Waggoner, B.M. (eds.). "Early skeletal fossils" (PDF). Neoproterozoic- Cambrian Biological Revolutions. Paleontological Society Papers. 10: 67–78. Retrieved 2008-07-18.

[Porter2004ClosingPhosphatizationWindow-3] Porter, S.M. (April 2004). "Closing the Phosphatization Window: Testing for the Influence of Taphonomic Megabias on the Pattern of Small Shelly Fossil Decline" (PDF). PALAIOS. 19 (2): 178–183. doi:10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0178:CTPWTF>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 2009-04-22.

[Dzik1994-4] Dzik, J. (1994). "Evolution of 'small shelly fossils' assemblages of the early Paleozoic". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 39 (3): 27–313. Retrieved 2008-08-01.

[5] "The Tommotian Age". Retrieved 2008-07-30.

[CowenHistLife-6] Cowen, R. (2000). History of Life (3rd ed.). Blackwell Science. p. 63. ISBN 0-632-04444-6.

[7] Hou, X-G; Aldridge, R.J.; Bengstrom, J.; Siveter, D.J. & Feng, X-H (2004). The Cambrian Fossils of Chengjiang, China. Blackwell Science. p. 233.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]