The Chengjiang fauna - The oldest preserved animal community

Abstract

The Chengjiang fauna, an exceptionally well-preserved fossil lagerstatte, from the lower part of the Lower Cambrian Eoredlichia-Wutingaspis Biozone in the Kunming area, Yunnan Province, China is generally introduced, including the research history of the area, stratigraphy in the interval with soft-bodied fossils, geological setting, depositional environment, discovery, distribution, significance and faunal association. The Chengjiang lagerstatte yields various mineralized and nonmineralized skeletons and internal soft parts of organisms, as well as complete soft-bodied animals. The fauna includes virtually all animal phyla that were previously known from the Middle Cambrian and vividly reproduces the appearance of the oldest Phanerozoic animals.