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We describe aggregative microconchid (Lophophorata) tubes from the uppermost Permian (upper Changhsingian) and Lower Triassic (Olenekian) lacustrine and fluvial strata of the Tunguska and Kuznetsk basins and the southern Cis-Urals, Russia. These attach to clam shrimp carapaces, bivalve shells, terrestrial plant fragments and a horseshoe crab head shield, and also form their own monospecific agglomerations. Planispiral tubes of a wide size range (0.1–2.5 mm) create dense settlements on these firm substrates, which likely comprise multiple generations of the same species. These finds confirm that this extinct lophophorate group was inhabiting non-marine continental basins during latest Permian and earliest Triassic time, when they were major suspension feeders in such limnic ecosystems. Microconchids dispersed extensively and rapidly in the aftermath of the Permian–Triassic mass extinction into both marine and continental basins at low and moderately high latitudes, which were notably different in salinity, temperature, depth and redox conditions. This confirms that small lightly calcified microconchids were a genuine disaster eurytopic group, whose expansion may have been promoted by low predator pressure and low competition for substrate.

Diverse skeletal assemblage has been discovered in the Ediacaran/Cambrian strata of the Codos locality in NE Spain (Aragón, Cadenas Ibéricas). This assemblage includes at least seven genera, only three of which can be ascribed to known taxa. All the fossils are preserved in phosphate but their original microstructures are traceable by both elementary composition and microstructural features that are indicative for primary aragonite and high-magnesium calcite biomineralogies. Already these early skeletal fossils show sophisticated microstructures represented by heterogeneous multilayered composites to satisfy the requirements for better protection against both chemical dissolution and mechanical predator deterioration. The most common and best-preserved fossil, which is tubicolous Codositubulus grioensis gen. et sp. nov., is described here. The composition of the fossil assemblage and its stratigraphic position are indicative for the lowermost Terreneuvian (lower Cambrian) or even pre-Terreneuvian age of this fauna.

Detailed analysis of the distribution of archaeocyaths in five lower Cambrian sections in South China has resulted in the erection of four new archaeocyathan zones and one new archaeocyathan bed. Listed in order of ascending age, these are: theDailycyathus xiuqiensisZone; theDictyocyathus shaanxiensisZone; theSpirillicyathus duplexRange Zone; theSibirecyathus meitanensisRange Zone; and theArchaeocyathus yanjiaoensisbeds. These new subdivisions permit a correlation of lower Cambrian strata both within the area of the Yangtze Platform (South China) as well as between this region and Siberia, Australia, Western Europe and North America. Within the Yangtze Platform area, archaeocyaths of theDailycyathus xiuqiensisandDictyocyathus shaanxiensiszones co-occur with trilobites of the middle and upperEoredlichiaTrilobite Zone of the Qiongzhusian Stage. TheSpirillicyathus duplexand theSibirecyathus meitanensisRange Zone correspond to theMalungia, Yiliangella–YunnanaspisandDrepanuroidesTrilobite zones of the basal and middle Canglangpuan Stage, respectively. Finally, theArchaeocyathus yanjiaoensisbeds belong to thePalaeolenus fengyangensisTrilobite Zone of the upper Canglangpuan Stage. Global correlations based on archaeocyath assemblage zones suggest that: (1) the middle–upper Qiongzhusian of South China correlates with the middle Atdabanian Stage of the Siberian Platform, theWarriootacyathus wilkawillinensisArchaeocyath Zone in South Australia, the middle Issendalenian Stage of Morocco and the lower Ovetian Stage in Spain; (2) the lowermost Canglangpuan Stage of South China correlates with the uppermost Atdabanian of the Siberian Platform, theSpirillicyathus tenuis – Jugalicyathus tardusarchaeocyath zones in South Australia, the uppermost Issendalenian – lower Banian stages of Morocco, the middle Ovetian Stage of Spain and the middle Montezuman Stage of North America; (3) the middle Canglangpuan Stage approximates the lowermost Botoman Stage of the Siberian Platform, middle Banian Stage of Morocco, the uppermost Ovetian – lowermost Marianian stages of Spain and the upper Montezuman Stage of North America; (4) the uppermost Canglangpuan Stage is equivalent of the middle Toyonian Stage of the Siberian Platform,Archaeocyathus abacusbeds in Australia, the middle Bilbilian Stage in Spain and the middle Dyeran Stage (Bolbolenellus eurypariaTrilobite Zone) in North America.

Y. Cai & H. Hua comment: Zhuravlev, Gámez Vintaned & Ivantsov (2009) reported the problematic Ediacaran fossil Gaojiashania annulucosta in Siberia and they considered that this is the first find of Gaojiashania outside China, since Gaojiashania had previously only been reported from the Gaojiashan Member of the middle Dengying Formation in the Ningqiang area, southern Shaanxi Province, South China. However, we believe that the so-called Siberian Gaojiashania was mis-identified, and what was described as Gaojiashania annulucosta by Zhuravlev, Gámez Vintaned & Ivantsov (2009) is more appropriately ascribed to Shaanxilithes ningqiangensis, another problematic Ediacaran fossil that has also been known from the Gaojiashan Member in Shaanxi Province of South China (Chen, Chen & Lao, 1975; Xing et al. 1984), as well as the stratigraphically equivalent Taozichong Formation in Guizhou Province (Hua, Chen & Zhang, 2004) and the Jiucheng Member (Dengying Formation) in Yunnan Province of South China (Zhu & Zhang, 2005), the Zhoujieshan Formation in Qinghai Province (Shen et al. 2007), and the Zhengmuguan Formation in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of North China (Shen et al. 2007).

We describe the first occurrence of the problematic fossilGaojiashaniaoutside China, in the Ediacaran Yudoma Group of the Siberian Platform. In both areas,Gaojiashaniacharacterizes the lower upper Ediacaran strata and precedes the appearance ofCloudinaand other skeletal fossils, which highlights its significance for the Ediacaran subdivision and correlation. Features of this fossil such as indeterminate length, the absence of a distinct growth pattern, and self-avoiding behaviour indicate its trace fossil origin but do not necessarily imply metazoan affinities for its producers. Several organisms including stem-group social amoebozoans and unicellular protists may have been Proterozoic trace fossil producers.

Four sections from the mid-Atdabanian to lowest Toyonian (middle Cambrian) along the Lena River of Siberia were sampled for carbon isotope stratigraphy. These show a mainly heavy but highly oscillatory δ13C signature for the Atdabanian to mid-Botomian interval, coincident with the major phase of invertebrate innovation. A prolonged interval of negative δ13C followed until late Toyonian times, coincident with Botomian-Toyonian mass extinctions. Eleven carbon isotope cycles are identified through the lower Cambrian, which should now be tested for their utility in global correlation and relationship to bioevents in the Cambrian explosion.

A new species of archaeocyath sponge, Dictyocyathus neptunensis, is described from the lower third of the Nelson Limestone of the Neptune Range, Antarctica. Based on the presence of the trilobites Nelsonia schesis and Amphoton oatesi, these strata are interpreted to be mid- to late middle Cambrian in age. D. neptunensis shows a branching, low integration modular form and a very simple skeletal type. Such an organization is predicted from known morphological trends within the early Cambrian Archaeocyatha. Specimens are not in life position, and probably form part of a storm deposit. The absence of Dictyocyathus from latest early Cambrian (Toyonian) strata worldwide suggests a convergent nature for this highly simplified skeletal type in archaeocyaths.

A synonymized nomenclature for calcified sponges (archaeocyaths, stromatoporoids, chaetetids, sphinctozoans and pharetronids) is here presented to enable comparison of suggested homologous structures.

In the Early Cambrian, there were two peaks of the increase in number of new archaeocyathan genera. These diversification bursts are, perhaps, related to significant changes in Early Cambrian palaeogeography. The first burst at the beginning of the Atdabanian was, perhaps, connected with the initiation of archaeocyathan expansion beyond the Siberian Platform. During the second half of the Atdabanian, closely related archaeocyathan assemblages were established from North Africa to Australia because neither climate, nor geographic isolation could have affected their differentiation in that time. At the end of the Atdabanian and the beginning of the Botomian the number of archaeocyathan genera again increased sharply, and isolated provinces were established. The American–Koryakiyan province was formed in western North America (from Alaska to Sonora) and included the Koryakiya, while the Afro–Siberian–Antarctic province probably extended from North Africa and Western Europe to Siberia, Australia, and Antarctica. The main difference between the regular archaeocyathan assemblages lies in what skeletal elements filled the intervallum. There was a certain stability in the distribution of skeletal elements of high taxonomic rank and an interchangeability of elements of low taxonomic rank.