New animal species found in Chinese quarry survived ancient mass extinction

Scientists report nearly 100 new animal species from a small quarry in Hunan, China, including soft-bodied fossils dated about 512 million years that lived after the Sinsk mass extinction.

Almost a hundred new animal species were uncovered in a small quarry in Hunan province, China, researchers reported. Between 2021 and 2024 the team collected more than 50,000 fossil specimens from a single site about 12 meters high, 30 meters long and eight meters wide. The fossils are dated to around 512 million years ago and come from the interval immediately after the Sinsk mass extinction. Many specimens preserve soft parts such as gills, guts, eyes and nerve traces. Key details: - The site yielded over 150 different species, of which 91 are reported as new to science. - Researchers collected more than 50,000 fossils from one quarry measuring about 12 m high, 30 m long and 8 m wide. - Fossils include soft-bodied forms such as worms, sponges, jellyfish and many arthropods, including radiodonts. - Specimens are dated to roughly 512 million years ago and represent soft-bodied animals that lived directly after the Sinsk extinction. - Many fossils show preserved soft tissues, including gills, guts, eyes and traces of nerves. - Several taxa match species previously known from the Burgess Shale, including Helmetia and Surusicaris, which researchers said suggests larvae could disperse widely by ocean currents. Summary: The Huayuan biota provides direct evidence of soft-bodied marine life in the interval after the Sinsk extinction and broadens understanding of which groups survived and how they were distributed. The overlap with Burgess Shale taxa indicates some early animals may have had wide geographic ranges. Undetermined at this time.