Cited by 43Paleontology and Evolutionary BiologyPaleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEvolution and Paleontology Studies

A vanished history of skeletonization in Cambrian comb jellies

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Ou, Qiang, Xiao, Shuhai, Han, Jian, Sun, Ge, Zhang, Fang, Zhang, Zhifei, Shu, Degan·2015·Science Advances

Abstract

Ctenophores are traditionally regarded as "lower" metazoans, sharing with cnidarians a diploblastic grade of organization. Unlike cnidarians, where skeletonization (biomineralization and sclerotization) evolved repeatedly among ecologically important taxa (for example, scleractinians and octocorals), living ctenophores are characteristically soft-bodied animals. We report six sclerotized and armored ctenophores from the early Cambrian period. They have diagnostic ctenophore features (for example, an octamerous symmetry, oral-aboral axis, aboral sense organ, and octaradially arranged ctene rows). Unlike most modern counterparts, however, they lack tentacles, have a sclerotized framework, and have eight pairs of ctene rows. They are resolved as a monophyletic group (Scleroctenophora new class) within the ctenophores. This clade reveals a cryptic history and sheds new light on the early evolution of this basal animal phylum. Skeletonization also occurs in some other Cambrian animal groups whose extant members are exclusively soft-bodied, suggesting the ecological importance of skeletonization in the Cambrian explosion.

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Crossref · 10.1126/sciadv.1500092

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  • Ctenophores are unequivocally monophyletic and have a diverse Cambrian fossil record.

    “Despite the fact that ctenophores are unequivocally monophyletic and have a diverse Cambrian fossil record”

    From Cambrian Sessile, Suspension Feeding Stem-Group Ctenophores and Evolution of the Comb Jelly Body Plan (2019) · cites this paper as [2]

    The Results describe six Cambrian ctenophore species, supporting the existence of multiple Cambrian fossils. But the Introduction calls the ctenophore fossil record generally poor, and the Discussion finds monophyly for the skeletonized Chengjiang ctenophores—not unequivocal monophyly of all ctenophores. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Given the mode of preservation and comparison with other sclerotized taxa, the 'dinomischid' skeleton was most likely organic in composition, although light mineralization cannot be excluded.

    “Given the mode of preservation and comparison with other sclerotized taxa, it was most likely organic in composition, although we cannot exclude light mineralization”

    From Cambrian Sessile, Suspension Feeding Stem-Group Ctenophores and Evolution of the Comb Jelly Body Plan (2019) · cites this paper as [2]

    The Discussion (page not available in our copy) says the skeletons of Chengjiang ctenophores were likely cuticular or chitinous, while minerals cannot be ruled out. That supports the proposed composition and uncertainty for ctenophores, but it does not establish the composition of the dinomischid skeleton. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Ctenophores from the early Cambrian Chengjiang Konservat-Lagerstätte possess a unique organic skeleton and were united as the clade Scleroctenophora.

    “Ctenophores from the early Cambrian Chengjiang Konservat-Lagerstätte possess a unique organic skeleton and were united as the clade Scleroctenophora by Ou et al.”

    From Cambrian Sessile, Suspension Feeding Stem-Group Ctenophores and Evolution of the Comb Jelly Body Plan (2019) · cites this paper as [2]

    The Introduction identifies the fossils as early Cambrian Chengjiang ctenophores, and the Discussion says their skeletonized forms constitute a clade described as the new class Scleroctenophora. The Discussion also calls their skeletons unique, but says they were only likely cuticular or chitinous and that a mineral component cannot be ruled out. Thus, describing the skeleton as definitively organic overstates the source. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The oldest unequivocal ctenophore fossils are found in the early Cambrian Chengjiang Konservat-Lagerstätte and the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale.

    “The oldest unequivocal ctenophore fossils are found in the early Cambrian Chengjiang Konservat-Lagerstätte”
  • The dark stain was identified as a statolith, but is at least an order of magnitude larger than those of extant ctenophores.

    “which was identified as a statolith [2”

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. [3]Tang F., Bengtson S., Wang Y., Wang X. L., Yin C. Y., Eoandromeda and the origin of Ctenophora. Evol. Dev. 13, 408– 414 (2011). 23016902
  2. [10]G. R. Harbison, in The Origins and Relationships of Lower Invertebrates, S. Conway Morris, J. D. George, R. Gibson, H. M. Platt, Eds. (Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 1985), pp. 78–100.
  3. [15]X. G. Hou, J. Bergstöm, H. F. Wang, X. H. Feng, A. L. Chen, The Chengjiang Fauna: Exceptionally Well-Preserved Animals from 530 Million Years Ago (Yunnan Science and Technology Press, Kunming, 1999).
  4. [21]X. G. Hou, R. Aldridge, J. Bergstrom, D. J. Siveter, D. Siveter, X.-H. Feng, The Cambrian Fossils of Chengjiang, China: The Flowering of Early Animal Life (Blackwell, Oxford, 2004).
  5. [28]M. L. Hernandez-Nicaise, in Microscopic Anatomy of Invertebrates, F. W. Harrison, Ed. (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1991), pp. 359–418.
  6. [38]L. Z. Chen, H. L. Luo, S. X. Hu, G. Y. Yin, Z. W. Jiang, Z. L. Wu, F. Li, A. L. Chen, Early Cambrian Chengjiang Fauna in Eastern Yunnan, China (Yunnan Science and Technology Press, Kunming, 2002).
  7. [39]J. Y. Chen, The Dawn of Animal World (Jiangsu Science and Technology Press, Nanjing, 2004).
  8. [41]J. W. Schopf, A. B. Kudryavtsev, in Quantifying the Evolution of Early Life, M. Laflamme, J. D. Schiffbauer, Eds. (Springer, New York, 2011), pp. 241–270.
  9. [51]L. H. Hyman, The Invertebrates: Protozoa Through Ctenophora (McGraw-Hill Publications, New York, 1940).

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Authors
Ou, Q., Xiao, S., Han, J., Sun, G., Zhang, F., Zhang, Z., & Shu, D.
Affiliations
  • China University of Geosciences (CN)
  • Virginia Tech (US)
  • Northwest University (CN)
  • Tsinghua University (CN)
Corresponding author
Ou, Qiang
Venue
Science Advances
Published
2015-07-03
Volume
1
Issue
6
Pages
e1500092-e1500092
ISSN
2375-2548 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2222825640
Cited by
43
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3
FWCI
4.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Science Advances (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Funders
  • Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (ID0EX2BG1647, NCET-13-1008)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (ID0EOAAI1648, 41102012, 41272011)
  • Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (ID0EEFAI1649, 2010ZY07, 2011YXL013, 2012097)
  • U.S. National Science Foundation (ID0EYJAI1650, EAR-1124062)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
Keywords
ctenophores, skeletonization, biomineralization, sclerotization, Cambrian fossils, Cambrian explosion, animal evolution, soft-bodied animals, new class, monophyly

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