Sx. Zhu et al., Discovery of carbonaceous compressions and their multicellular tissues from the Changzhougou Formation (1 800 Ma) in the Yanshan range, North China, CHIN SCI B, 45(9), 2000, pp. 841-847
In 1997 and 1998, hundreds of specimens of megascopic carbonaceous compress
ions or algal fossils were found from similar to 1800-million-year old Chan
gzhougou Formation, which is the lowermost unit of the latest Palaeoprotero
zoic Changcheng Group (similar to 1 600-1 800 Ma) in the Xinglong-Kuancheng
areas at the middle Yanshan Riinge, North China. They are discoid, ellipso
id and sausage-like, namely shaped like Chuaria Shouhsiennia (Ellipsophyta)
and Tawuia. By adopting HF acid-resistant maceration coupled with scanning
electron microscope and petrologic section, the authors made a preliminary
research on the histology for some circular and ellipsoid carbonaceous com
pressions, hamely Chuaria- and Shouhsienia-like forms, in addition to their
morphology, The following three types of multicellular tissues have been f
ound in the fragments of them: colony-like, pseudoparenchyma-like and paren
chyma-like. All of the new data about multicelluar tissues not only supply
a very important basis in histology to determine the biological affinity of
multicellular algal remains for the Changzhougou carbonaceous compressions
newly found, but also provide reliable fossil evidence to prove that metap
hytes originated at least 1 800 million years ago.