Abstract:

This paper deals with the new leaf-like rhodophycean fossils in the Early Cambrian from Chengjiang Biota at Mafang Village of Haikou, Kunming, Yunnan, Southeast China. The new taxa Paradelesseria sanguinea gen. et sp. nov. is found to have a close relationship with the living Delesseria according to detailed morphological study between the fossil and modern Delesseria. These new findings show that the Chengjiang Biota is high in species diversity of fossil algae and might offer new evidence for a better understanding of the Cambrian explosive biological evolution and its paleoenvironment. The Biota in Haikou district of Kunming was living in subtidal and lower intertidal marine environment, up to 30 m below surface of the water based on the comparative study of extant red algae.

Key words: Haikou, Yunnan, Early Cambrian, Chengjiang Biota, leaf-like rhodophycean fossils