Chongqing Voice September 29th News Today, the paper "The Oldest Complete Jawed Vertebrate in the Early Silurian in China" was jointly completed by Chongqing Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, , the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published as a cover paper in the international top academic journal Nature (Nature), and has made another major breakthrough in the research direction of jawed origin and early evolution.
Chongqing Shiliuji fish fossil was discovered by the Chongqing Geological and Mineral Research Institute in 2019, and has achieved many major scientific research results: In June 2021, the international authoritative academic journal Current Biology reported the world's oldest all-jaw shield skin fish fossil 423 million years ago, " pocket border town fish ", which is in a key "transition stage" of evolution, providing important evidence for exploring the origin and evolutionary relationship between earlier shield skin fish and human jaw bones. In March 2022, the English version of the international academic journal "Journal of Geology" reported the "Binhai Yongdong Fish" fossil of jawless fish 436 million years ago. It was named after the rural revitalization township, Xiushan Yongdong Cave, and established a new family, Yongdong Fish Family, and became the first department-level paleontological naming unit in Chongqing.
This research team newly discovered and named the early Silurian fish fossil combination "Chongqing Special Buried Fossil Library" in Xiushan . The ancient fish fossils found are not only numerous and complete in species, but also very complete and exquisite in preservation, including the earliest complete record of jawed vertebrates fossils so far, allowing the world to have a glimpse of the full picture of vertebrates in the early Silurian period, especially jawed species.
"Chongqing Special Buried Fossil Library" includes the latest discoveries of 3 new species of Silurian ancient fish: the miracle Xiushan fish of shield skin fish, the creeping Shen's sprig fish of cartilage fish and the agile Tujia fish of armor fish. Among them, the "spirited Tujia Fish" lived 436 million years ago, and was an armor without jaws. Its head armor preserved a strange lateral line system. At the same time, it was surprising that its body was completely preserved. This is the first case among armor fish. The paired continuous fin folds on the side of its body can be observed from the preserved body part. Research shows that these continuous fin folds are the prototypes of the limbs of jawed fish or quadruped animals including humans. The Shen's sprigated fish with creeping patterns lived 436 million years ago, and is a cartilage fish, the first large fossil of cartilage fish discovered in my country, and it is also the earliest related preserved cartilage fish found in the world. The large fossil has a very special large membranous bone armor surrounding the shoulder strap. This feature was previously considered a unique feature of the shield-skinned fish. It has never been found in other cartilage fish. It confirms that the cartilage fish evolved from the ancestor of the "helmet and armor" - the shield-skinned fish. The Miracle Xiushan fish lived 436 million years ago. Unlike any previous shield-skinned fish, it combines the characteristics of multiple major shield-skinned fish . Its cranial apex armor type is an intermediate state in the evolution from the shield-skinned fish to the bony fish style, providing precious information for exploring the origin of the main groups at the roots of the jaw-like tree.
paper ranked first in the first author unit, and researchers such as Dr. Li Qiang and Dr. Chen Yang of Chongqing Geological and Mineral Research Institute participated in the research work of the "Chongqing Special Buried Fossil Library". According to Chen Yang, this biota is another special buried fossil library discovered in my country after the Chengjiang Biota and Rehe Biota. The discovery fills the gap in the early record of jaw fossils in the Silurian world, provides for the first time a clear evidence for the earliest rise and radiation differentiation of jaws, and has made new progress in the exploration of important scientific issues such as the earliest differentiation of jaws, the evolution of important organs and body configurations, and refreshes the traditional cognition of the evolution of world life.
Researcher Wei Guangbiao, one of the authors of the paper and a researcher at Chongqing Geological Survey, said that the discovery of the "Chongqing Special Buried Fossil Library" shows that the Chuanhe Gai is a veritable treasure mountain, which contains countless mysteries of the evolution of life.The sky road winding from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain is more like a spiral ascending road to the evolution of life. The discovery and research of Chongqing biota has added world-class scientific and cultural business cards such as "Siluji Ocean Park" and "Hometown of Jawed Fish" to Xiushan.
Relevant person in charge of Chongqing Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau said that the "Chongqing Special Buried Fossil Library" was discovered closely by the world's top research institutions and the natural resources management department for the planning and fossil discovery site planning. The Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government attached great importance to the protection and research of paleontological fossils. The Chongqing Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau made scientific arrangements for this, setting a good example of the discovery, protection, research and publicity of important paleontological fossils in my country, and exploring a feasible path for the scientific research and protection of the paleontological fossil treasure house contained in my country's vast territory, especially the vertebrate fossil treasure house.
Chongqing Voice reporter Wang Liyue reported.
