Late Proterozoic tubular fossils from the Doushantuo Formation of Weng'an, Guizhou, China

Li Guo-xiang, Xue Yao-song and Zhou Chuan-ming

pp. 29-37, 2 plates, in English

Abstract:

The material investigated under the present paper consists of tiny tube-like fossils, which were collected from the phosphatic dolostones of the Upper Proterozoic Doushantuo Formation in the Weng'an Phosphorite Mining Region, Guizhou, S.W. China. Three taxa, including Actinotheca brevituba Duan, Coleolella noduliformis sp. nov. and a conical specimen with uncertain classification, are described and illustrated in detail to provide new data for study on the evolution and biomineralization of early metazoans, although their assignments are still uncertain at present.

Keywords: Late Proterozoic, Doushantuo Formation, tubular fossils, biomineralization, Guizhou