Quantitative Analysis of Flabellophyton from the Ediacaran Lantian Biota,South China: Application of Geometric Morphometrics in Precambrian Fossil Research |
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| Authors: | WAN Bin YUAN Xunlai CHEN Zhe GUAN Chengguo PANG Ke TANG Qing RAO Xin |
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| Institution: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Paleobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China;2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China |
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| Abstract: | As a more efficient quantitative method for morphological analysis, geometric morphometrics is applied to the flabellate fossils Flabellophyton including Flabellophyton lantianensis and Flabellophyton strigata from Neoproterozoic Ediacaran Lantian biota, South China. Both traditional morphometric analysis (including diverging angle, length, and width distribution) and geometric morphometric analysis including superposition of normalized area analysis, non‐metric multidimensional scaling (n‐MDS), Bray‐Curtis similarity cluster analysis (CLUSTER) and analysis of similarities (ANOSIM)] were performed. The results indicate there are great interspecific morphological differences between F. lantianensis and F. strigata, in addition to some intraspecific variations within each species. Here we preliminarily suggest that the previously defined Flabellophyton should be subdivided into 2 genera at least: one marked by the dark transverse striated structure, and the other without. This recharacterization and reclassification work still needs further careful observation and comprehensive analysis with large number of flabellate fossils combining morphology, structure, population, and community‐ecology study. |
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| Keywords: | Lantian biota Flabellophyton morphological analysis geometric morphometrics |
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