(Press-News.org) A research team from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) has made progress in studying the Shibantan Biota in Yichang, Hubei Province, uncovering the oldest known complex three-dimensional burrow systems to date. Preserved in approximately 550-million-year-old strata, these trace fossils show that complex animal behaviors were modifying the seafloor environment nearly 10 million years earlier than previously thought.
The Ediacaran–Cambrian transition, around 539 million years ago, marks one of the most significant ecosystem revolutions in Earth's history. A key driver of this ecological shift was the transition of metazoan behavior from simple two-dimensional surface activities to three-dimensional exploration deep into sediments. This "substrate revolution" transformed the seafloor from a uniform, matground-dominated system into a heterogeneously, bioturbated modern-style seabed, permanently altering the trajectory of Earth's environmental and biological evolution.
The researchers conducted a systematic study of trace fossils from the Shibantan Biota (approximately 550–543 million years old). They identified multiple ichnospecies within the genus Treptichnus and established a new ichnospecies, Treptichnus streptosus. By combining these findings with previously discovered three-dimensional trace fossils such as Lamonte and tadpole-shaped traces from the same biota, the study offers an in-depth analysis of the evolutionary and ecological significance of the emergence of animals' vertical exploration behavior.
The findings, published in Science Advances on Oct. 29, reveal that complex animal behaviors emerged on the eve of the Cambrian explosion.
Treptichnus is a landmark trace fossil, representing the first "3D exploration" of sediments by animals, and holds importance in evolutionary biology, animal behavior, and ecology. The first appearance of T. pedum, a member of this genus, formally defines the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary. The new discovery from the Shibantan Biota predates this revolutionary behavior. In addition to reporting the new species T. streptosus, the study identifies other ichnospecies including T. cf. bifurcus, T. rectangularis, and T. pollardi, demonstrating that animal burrowing behaviors had already achieved considerable diversity by this period.
Furthermore, the Shibantan Biota preserves other three-dimensional burrows, such as Lamonte and tadpole-shaped traces. The concentrated occurrence of these vertical exploration behaviors reflects early sedimentary ecological stratification and complex foraging strategies, indicating a gradually enhanced ability of trace-making organisms to engineer substrates.
The study found that Lamonte caused intensive bioturbation within the Shibantan Biota. This not only disrupted microbial mats on the sediment surface but also dismantled the ecological environment of Ediacara-type organisms that depended on these mats. This suggests bioturbation may have been a contributing factor to the first extinction event of the Ediacara biota around 550 million years ago.
The emergence of these complex behaviors and their cumulative ecological effects intensified toward the end of the Ediacaran Period. This led to the gradual decline of microbial mats, continuously eroding the ecological foundation of Ediacara-type organisms while creating new ecological opportunities for the diversification of other metazoans. Driven by the synergy of various biological and non-biological factors, this process ultimately contributed to the profound ecosystem transformation during the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition.
This research further confirms that the rich and diverse assemblage of trace fossils and body fossils preserved in the Shibantan Biota provides a window for studying major ecosystem changes at the transition between the Precambrian and Phanerozoic Eons.
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
END
Researchers uncover oldest 3D burrow systems in Hubei's Shibantan Biota
2025-10-29
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Discovery of a new principle: chiral molecules adhere to magnets
2025-10-29
Chiral molecules, which have a helical structure, are known to interact with magnets in a phenomenon known as chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS). For instance, when a chiral molecule is connected to a magnet and an electric current is applied, magnetoresistance effects can be observed. It has also been reported that magnets can be used to separate right-handed and left-handed chiral molecules. The prevailing explanation is that the flow of current through a chiral molecule induces magnetic ...
New algorithm lets autonomous drones work together to transport heavy, changing payloads
2025-10-29
Scientists at TU Delft, The Netherlands, have developed a new algorithm that allows multiple autonomous drones to work together to control and transport heavy payloads, even in windy conditions. Ideal for reaching and maintaining hard-to-reach infrastructure, like offshore wind turbines. With often harsh weather, limited payload capacity and unpredictable contact with the environment, it is difficult for current drones to operate safely and effectively. The results have been published in Science Robotics.
“A single drone can only carry a very limited load,” explains Sihao Sun, robotics researcher at TU Delft. “This ...
Lehigh University team develops computational model to guide neurostimulation therapy for atrial fibrillation
2025-10-29
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a cardiac disorder in which the chambers of the heart beat rapidly and irregularly. It’s the most common type of arrhythmia and the leading cardiac cause of stroke.
While several treatments—ranging from medication to surgery—exist, the search continues for improved options to address AFib, which the National Institutes of Health (NIH) forecasts will affect up to 12 million people in the U.S. by 2050.
One emerging strategy includes electrical stimulation, known as neurostimulation, which researchers believe could potentially suppress, treat, or even reverse ...
Survival of the blandest: Unusual sharks face highest extinction risk
2025-10-29
If current extinction trends continue, global shark populations will lose much of their variety, thereby threatening ecosystems where specialized species serve vital roles, researchers have found.
In prowling Earth’s oceans for more than 400 million years, sharks have evolved into a delightfully diverse group. As popularly conveyed through children’s books, the famous fish range in size from palm-sized dwarf lanternsharks to school-bus-length whale sharks. Great whites, hammerheads, and many others serve key ecological roles as apex predators at the top of the food chain.
According to previous research, one-third ...
Research alert: Bioinformatics uncovers regenerative therapy for spinal cord injury
2025-10-29
Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a major unmet medical challenge, often resulting in permanent paralysis and disability with no effective treatments. Now, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have harnessed bioinformatics to fast-track the discovery of a promising new drug for SCI. The results will also make it easier for researchers around the world to translate their discoveries into treatments.
One of the reasons SCI results in permanent disability is that the neurons that form our brain and spinal cord cannot effectively regenerate. Encouraging neurons to regenerate with drugs offers a promising ...
Sustainable chemistry with the help of Artificial Intelligence
2025-10-29
Amidation reactions are the most common reactions in the chemical industry. They are indispensable for a wide range of industrial production processes, but their ecological footprint is highly problematic. They generate large amounts of toxic waste and are energy-intensive. A team led by Dr Tobias Schnitzer, research group leader at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Freiburg, is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop innovative, boronic acid-catalysed amidation reactions that do not ...
Quantum jam sessions teach quantum and jamming
2025-10-29
A new interactive web application allows for a tangible understanding of abstract concepts of quantum game theory. The Kobe University development parallels the emergent dialogue found in jazz and improvisational music and aims for a scientific exploration of creativity.
For many of us, quantum mechanics, game theory and jazz are difficult concepts by themselves, and it is hard to imagine how they would combine. But Kobe University quantum engineer SOUMA Satofumi posits that not only can they fruitfully interact, but their combination also provides new avenues to understanding each of them. Through creating the world’s first browser-based interactive ...
Health care professionals sponsored for H-1B visas in the US
2025-10-29
About The Study: Over 11,000 physicians were sponsored for H-1B visas in fiscal year 2024, representing 1% of the U.S. physician workforce. H-1B–sponsored advanced practice providers (physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives), dentists, and other health care workers (podiatrists, chiropractors, and optometrists) accounted for a smaller share. The percentage of H-1B–sponsored physicians was nearly 2 times higher in rural compared with urban counties and nearly 4 times higher in the highest- vs lowest-poverty counties.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Rishi K. Wadhera, ...
Study shows increase of H1-B visa fees will most impact rural and high-poverty counties
2025-10-29
Investigators at Mass General Brigham and the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have found that international doctors sponsored by H1-B visas in 2024 comprised nearly 1% of the entire physician workforce in the United States, with substantial variation in different counties’ reliance on H-1B-sponsored physicians and other healthcare professionals. The research, published in JAMA, comes out just weeks after a presidential proclamation that substantially increased employers’ fees for H1-B visa applications.
“Our ...
How age affects vaccine responses and how to make them better
2025-10-29
SEATTLE, WASH. — October 29, 2025 — As flu season approaches and public health officials roll out their annual push for vaccination, Allen Institute scientists are learning why vaccines can trigger a weaker response in older adults, around age 65, and what can be done to improve them. These insights open the door to designing more effective vaccines.
In the largest study of its kind, published in Nature, scientists discovered that our T cells—key players in coordinating immune responses—undergo profound and specific changes as we age. These changes, far from ...