Biomineralization of the Cambrian chancelloriids

Abstract As extinct animals that flourished during the Cambrian explosion, chancelloriids have a unique body plan lacking guts but with flexible integument and suite of star-shaped, hollow sclerites. Due to this plan, along paucity knowledge on sclerite biomineralization, phylogenetic position within Metazoa is still controversial. Integration analyses diverse fossils from stage 2 Wuliuan Stage China Australia indicates chancelloriid sclerites possess an encasement-like organic layer fibrous aragonitic layer. The inferred be specialized trait derived epidermal animal body. were likely biomineralized by using outer as template absorb cations precipitate crystal nuclei, reflecting strategy adopted range eumetazoans developed epidermis. Therefore, hypothesis represent epitheliozoan-grade early explorer template-based biomineralization supported.