An encrusting kleptoparasite-host interaction from the early Cambrian.

Autor: Zhang Z; State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China. elizf@nwu.edu.cn., Strotz LC; State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China. lukestrotz@nwu.edu.cn., Topper TP; State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China. timothy.topper@nwu.edu.cn.; Department of Palaeobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-10405, Stockholm, Sweden. timothy.topper@nwu.edu.cn., Chen F; State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China.; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia., Chen Y; State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China., Liang Y; State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China., Zhang Z; State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China.; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia., Skovsted CB; State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China.; Department of Palaeobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-10405, Stockholm, Sweden., Brock GA; State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China.; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Nature communications [Nat Commun] 2020 Jun 02; Vol. 11 (1), pp. 2625. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Jun 02.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16332-3
Abstrakt: Parasite-host systems are pervasive in nature but are extremely difficult to convincingly identify in the fossil record. Here we report quantitative evidence of parasitism in the form of a unique, enduring life association between tube-dwelling organisms encrusted to densely clustered shells of a monospecific organophosphatic brachiopod assemblage from the lower Cambrian (Stage 4) of South China. Brachiopods with encrusting tubes have decreased biomass (indicating reduced fitness) compared to individuals without tubes. The encrusting tubes orient tightly in vectors matching the laminar feeding currents of the host, suggesting kleptoparasitism. With no convincing parasite-host interactions known from the Ediacaran, this widespread sessile association reveals intimate parasite-host animal systems arose in early Cambrian benthic communities and their emergence may have played a key role in driving the evolutionary and ecological innovations associated with the Cambrian radiation.
Databáze: MEDLINE
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