Toward creation of Chemical paleontology

2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23654176
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Stratigraphy/Paleontology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: KOMIYA Tsuyoshi 東京大学, 大学院・総合文化研究科, 准教授 (30361786)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2012
• Keywords: 放射光 X 線 Micro-CT / 化学古生物学 / カンブリア紀 / カンブリア爆発 / 後生動物化石 / 微小硬骨格動物化石

Research Abstract

It is difficult to investigate the origins of fossils whose structures are very common or have no modern equivalents based on the morphology. Recently, it is controversial whether globular fossils in the Ediacaran originate from the oldest animal embryos or colonized large bacteria. We carried out in-situ FT-IR analyses of the oldest animal embryo fossils and found organic molecular evidence for the eukaryotes, namely metazoans. We conducted synchrotron X-ray Micro-CT analyses of the oldest cnidarian polyp fossils to observe the internal structures. We found clear pentaradial structures inside, suggesting the early Cnidaria did not have radial structures but bilateral structures.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Reproductive strategy of the bradoriid arthropod Kunmingella douvillei from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstatte (2013)
  • Author(s): Duan, Y., Han, J., Fu, D., Zhang, X., Yang, X., Komiya, T., Shu, D.
  • Journal Title: South China. Gondwana Research Volume: (in press)
• [Journal Article] Micro-FTIR spectroscopy of Ediacaran embryo-like microfossils from Doushantuo Formation in Weng'an area. (2013)
  • Author(s): Igisu, M., Komiya, T., Kawashima, M., Nakashima, S., Ueno, Y., Maruyama, S., Takai, K.
  • Journal Title: Gondwana Research Volume: (in press)
• [Journal Article] Irreversible change of the oceanic carbon cycle in the earliest Cambrian: High-resolution organic and inorganic carbon chemostratigraphy in the Three Gorges area (2013)
  • Author(s): Ishikawa, T., Ueno, Y., Shu, D., Li, Y., Han, J., Guo, J., Yoshida, N., Komiya, T.
  • Journal Title: South China.Precambrian Research Volume: 225 Pages: 190-208
• [Journal Article] Carbon and oxygen isotope chemostratigraphies of the Yangtze platform, South China: Decoding temperature and environmental changes through the Ediacaran (2013)
  • Author(s): Tahata, M., Ueno, Y., Ishikawa, T., Sawaki, Y., Murakami, K., Han, J., Shu, D., Li, Y., Guo, J., Yoshida, N., Komiya, T.
  • Journal Title: Gondwana Research Volume: 23 Pages: 333-353
• [Journal Article] Molecular fossils extracted from the Early Cambrian section in the Three Gorges area (2013)
  • Author(s): Yamada, K., Ueno, Y., Yamada, K., Komiya, T., Han, J., Shu, D., Yoshida, N., Maruyama, S.
  • Journal Title: South China. Gondwana Research Volume: (in press)
• [Presentation] Ion Microprobe U-Pb Dating and Sr Isotope Measurement of a Protoconodont (2013)
  • Author(s): Sano, Y., Toyoshima, K., Shirai, K., Takahata, N., Sato, T., Komiya, T.
  • Organizer: Goldschmidt Conference 2013
  • Place of Presentation: Florence, Italy
  • Year and Date: 20130000
• [Presentation] Synchrotron X-ray micro-CT analyses of the early Cambrian microfossils: Decoding of the early evolution of Metazoa, Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2013 (2013)
  • Author(s): Komiya, T., Nakao, T., Uesugi, K., Han, J.
  • Organizer: Makuhari
  • Place of Presentation: Chiba, Japan
  • Year and Date: 20130000
• [Presentation] Synchrotron X-ray Micro-CT analyses of the Early Cambrian microfossils,2012 GSA Annual meeting 44 (2012)
  • Author(s): Komiya, T., Han, J., Nakao, T., Uesugi, K.,Hoshino, M.
  • Organizer: GeologicalSociety of America Abstracts with Programs
  • Place of Presentation: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
  • Year and Date: 20120000
• [Presentation] Three steps evolution of multicellular animals (2011)
  • Author(s): Komiya, T.
  • Organizer: Japan Earth and Planetary Science Join Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Makuhari,Japan
  • Year and Date: 20110000
• [Presentation] Infrared microspectroscopic characterization of Ediacaran microfossils from Doushantuo Formation (2011)
  • Author(s): Igisu, M., Komiya, T., Nakashima, S., Ueno, Y., Maruyama, S.
  • Organizer: Weng'an area, Japan Earth and Planetary Science Join Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Makuhari,Japan
  • Year and Date: 20110000
• [Remarks]
  • URL: http://ea.c.utokyo.ac.jp/earth/Members/komiya.html