Ben Yang

Dr. Ben Yang

Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

7Years (2020-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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17 January 2020 in Scientific Reports
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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BYBen Yang
Ben Yang
MSMichael Steiner
Michael Steiner
JSJames D. Schiffbauer
James D. Schiffbauer
TSTara Selly
Tara Selly
XWXuwen Wu
Xuwen Wu
PLPengju Liu
Pengju Liu
Cloudinids have long been considered the earliest biomineralizing metazoans, but their affinities have remained contentious and undetermined. Based on well-preserved ultrastructures of two taxa, we here propose new interpretations regarding both their extent of original biomineralization and their phylogenetic affinity. One of these taxa is a new cloudinid from Mongolia, Zuunia chimidtsereni gen. et sp. nov., which exhibits key characteristics of submicrometric kerogenous lamellae, plastic tube-wall deformation, and tube-wall delamination. Multiple carbonaceous lamellae are also discovered in Cloudina from Namibia and Paraguay, which we interpret to have originated from chitinous or collagenous fabrics. We deduce that these cloudinids were predominantly originally organic (chitinous or collagenous), and postmortem decay and taphonomic mineralization resulted in the formation of aragonite and/or calcite. Further, based on our ultrastructural characterization and other morphological similarities, we suggest that the cloudinids should most parsimoniously be assigned to annelids with originally organic tubes.

11 June 2020 in Palaeontology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
XSXiaodong Shang
Xiaodong Shang
PLPengju Liu
Pengju Liu
MMMalgorzata Moczydlowska-Vidal
Malgorzata Moczydlowska-Vidal
BYBen Yang
Ben Yang