贵州瓮安埃迪卡拉纪陡山沱组(635—551Ma)的磷酸盐化动物胚胎化石作为全球已知最古老的多细胞动物化石记录,为研究后生动物的起源及早期演化过程提供了精美的实证材料.在传统扫描电子显微成像的基础上,结合同步辐射相位衬度显微断层成像技术,对瓮安生物群中以前报道的"内陷式动物原肠胚化石"的立体标本进行了比较形态学和解剖学研究.结果显示,贵州瓮安陡山沱组磷酸盐化内陷式动物原肠胚化石很可能是多细胞藻类,并非动物胚胎.

Exquisite phosphatized eggs and embryos from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation (Weng'an biota, ca.580Ma) found in Guizhou Province, southwestern China have greatly expanded our understanding of the embryology and diversity of early metazoans. These Doushantuo animal fossils are dominated by uncleaved eggs and cleavage-stage embryos; specimens at later developmental stages such as gastrulae, however, are extremely rare. To obtain more affinity information about the gastrula fossils, phase contrast-based synchrotron X-ray microtomography and scanning electron microscopy were employed to perform morphology and anatomy investigations. The results suggest that the fossils which were interpreted as gastrulae formed by invagination previously probably have no relationship with animals but multicellular algae in affinity.