caa a22 4500 445299932 CHVBK 20180317142554.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20101201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s11430-010-4085-x doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s11430-010-4085-x The earliest Foraminifera from southern Shaanxi, China [Elektronische Daten] [Hong Hua, Zhe Chen, XunLai Yuan, ShuHai Xiao, YaoPing Cai] Vase-shaped microfossils (VSMs) described herein mainly occur as isolated individuals in thin bedded siltstone and silty carbonate of the Gaojiashan Member of the upper Ediacaran Dengying Formation (ca. 551-541 Ma). Although these fossils are abundant, chained tests or other types of colonial aggregates have not been observed. Specimens in the siltstones can easily be isolated from the host rocks by ultrasonic vibrators. Compared with the co-occurring fossils Gaojiashania and Conotubus, VSMs are rarely pyritized, yet they are always three-dimensionally persevered with little deformation, suggesting that their tests were sturdy and possibly mineralized. Petrological observation and elemental mapping reveal two types of tests that are respectively calcareous and siliceous in composition. Calcareous tests typically consist of two to three crypto-crystal laminae, somewhat resembling bilamellar walls of foraminifers. Siliceous tests consist of fine-grained particles agglutinated with siliceous cement, similar to agglutinated walls of foraminifers. The Gaojiashan VSMs are broadly similar, at least in gross morphology, to the testate amoebae-like VSMs, but their relative large sizes (600-2400 μm) and possibly mineralized (rather than organic) tests argue against this comparison. They also show some similarities to other protozoans, especially tintinnids. However, tintinnids have robust pesudochitinous loricae consisting of both secreted and agglutinated materials. Moreover, tintinnid loricae differ in shape from the Gaojiashan VSM tests in having a constricted aboral end (sometimes with a caudal appendix) and a flaring oral opening. If the Gaojiashan VSMs are indeed related to foraminifers, they indicate that foraminifers were important players in late Ediacaran communities. Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2010 Gaojiashan biota nationallicence vase-shaped microfossils nationallicence Foraminifera nationallicence Hua Hong Early Life Institute, State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China aut Chen Zhe Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China aut Yuan XunLai Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China aut Xiao ShuHai Department of Geosciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 24061, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA aut Cai YaoPing Early Life Institute, State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China aut Science China Earth Sciences SP Science China Press 53/12(2010-12-01), 1756-1764 1674-7313 53:12<1756 2010 53 11430 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-010-4085-x text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-010-4085-x text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Hua Hong Early Life Institute, State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Chen Zhe Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Yuan XunLai Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Xiao ShuHai Department of Geosciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 24061, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Cai YaoPing Early Life Institute, State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Science China Earth Sciences SP Science China Press 53/12(2010-12-01), 1756-1764 1674-7313 53:12<1756 2010 53 11430 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer