New advances in the study of the Early Cambrian Guanshan fauna in the Kunming area, Yunnan,China

This paper summarizes the recent advances in the study of the Early Cambrian Guanshan fauna in the Kunming area. It briefly describes the research history, stradgraphic horizon, assemblage features of the Guanshan fauna and its research significance. The authors for the first time found the Vetulicoliid Vetulicola gwrtgtoucurtermis Luo, Fu et Hu, Tuzoia sp. nov., PoIaeoscolex sp. nov. and the brachiopod Heliomedusa sp. nov., as weU as some new taxa of trilobitomorphs and sponges. The Guanshan fauna is a Burgess shale-type fauna composed of diverse groups of soft-body metazoans and its age is placed between those of the Chengjiang fauna Kaili fauna. This fauna plays a role of linking the previous fauna with the succeeding fauna and has great significance in the study of the explosion of the Cambrian lives and Early Cambrian biotic evolution.