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The rapid appearance of major animal groups and complex marine communities during the Cambrian explosion is recorded in large part in Burgess Shale-type lagerstätten. However, the restricted temporal and spatial distribution of known lagerstätten continues to hinder the formation of a comprehensive perspective on Cambrian evolutionary faunas. Here we describe the Linyi Lagerstätte (ca. 504 mya), a new Cambrian Miaolingian lagerstätte from the Zhangxia Formation in Shandong Province, North China. The Linyi Lagerstätte contains a variety of well-preserved soft-bodied fossils, among which the non-trilobite arthropods, particularly the mollisoniids and radiodonts, are the most important groups. The new assemblage is remarkable for its excellent preservation of arthropod limbs, eyes and guts, as well as for its close similarity in taxonomic composition to Laurentian lagerstätten. The distinctive Linyi Lagerstätte holds great promise for providing additional insights into the morphological disparity, community structure and paleogeographic range of marine faunas during the middle Cambrian (Miaolingian). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyoliths are extinct enigmatic organisms of early lophotrochozoan affinity known globally from the Palaeozoic Era and were especially diverse and abundant in the Cambrian Period. However, the commonly incomplete preservation of hyolith exoskeletons and our limited knowledge of their soft anatomy makes their ecological and biological aspects unclear. Konservat-Lagerstätte are crucial windows to unlock the mysteries of hyoliths. Here we report a new occurrence of exceptionally preserved hyolithid hyoliths from the middle Cambrian Mantou Formation (Miaolingian, Wuliuan) in Shandong Province, North China. The preserved soft organs of the new species Novakotheca weifangensis sp. nov. include a U-shaped gut and possible pharynx, oesophagus, stomach and digestive gland, which provide significant new information for the reconstruction of the digestive system of hyolithids. Two taphonomic modes of hyoliths described herein are recognized: soft tissue preservation through pyritization and three-dimensional shell preservation through phosphatization. Morphological variations due to different preservational pathways in the same species are revealed, highlighting the taphonomic bias on taxonomy. The ecological association between hyoliths and small brachiopod epibionts is a direct example of species interactions, providing insights into the ecological structures and adaptability of early animals during Cambrian time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hurdiidae, a clade of Radiodonta that has attracted widespread attention in recent years, is notable for their massive tripartite cephalic carapace and a wide variety of feeding habits. Although the Hurdiidae has a cosmopolitan distribution in the Cambrian, their Miaolingian occurrences are restricted to Laurentia. Here we describe a new hurdiid radiodont, Cordaticaris striatus gen. et sp. nov., based on well-preserved specimens from the middle Cambrian (Miaolingian, Drumian) Zhangxia Formation in Shandong Province, North China. This new taxon is characterized by a heart-shaped central element with linear ornament, frontal appendages equipped with nine blade-like endites including seven subequal elongate endites, a node-bearing 'peytoia'-type oral cone, and a trunk covered with rows of setal structures. Cordaticaris not only enriches the taxonomic diversity of Hurdiidae, but also further documents the great morphological disparity of hurdiid sclerotized body elements. The discovery of soft-bodied fossils in the Zhangxia Formation also stresses the great potential of the Miaolingian strata of North China for the preservation of non-biomineralized organisms. Unlabelled Image • Relatively complete account of a new hurdiid radiodont genus. • Further documents high disparity of hurdiids sclerotized elements in Miaolingian. • The first new genus of Cambrian Miaolingian Hurdiidae discovered outside Laurentia. • Complement stratigraphic and biogeographic distribution of hurdiids and radiodonts. • Indicate the potential for discovering more Miaolingian BST fossils in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]