title: Discovery of 505-million-year old chitin in the basal demosponge Vauxia gracilenta.
abstract: Sponges are probably the earliest branching animals, and their fossil record dates back to the Precambrian. Identifying their skeletal structure and composition is thus a crucial step in improving our understanding of the early evolution of metazoans. Here, we present the discovery of 505-million-year-old chitin, found in exceptionally well preserved Vauxia gracilenta sponges from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale. Our new findings indicate that, given the right fossilization conditions, chitin is stable for much longer than previously suspected. The preservation of chitin in these fossils opens new avenues for research into other ancient fossil groups.
authors: Institute of Experimental Physics, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, D-09599 Freiberg, Germany.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Ehrlich
authors: 1] Museum of Paleontology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA 84602-3300 [2].
authors: J Keith
authors: JK
authors: Rigby
authors: Leeds Museum Discovery Centre, Leeds LS10 1LB, UK.
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: Botting
authors: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, D-01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors: M V
authors: MV
authors: Tsurkan
authors: Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, D-01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Werner
authors: Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Schwille
authors: Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Petrášek
authors: Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-818 Warszawa, Poland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Pisera
authors: Max Planck Institute of Chemical Physics of Solids, D-01187 Dresden, Germany.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Simon
authors: Department of Mathematics Komi SC UrD RAS, Syktyvkar, Russia.
authors: V N
authors: VN
authors: Sivkov
authors: Institute of the Solid State Physics, Dresden University of Technology, D-01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors: D V
authors: DV
authors: Vyalikh
authors: 1] Institute of Experimental Physics, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, D-09599 Freiberg, Germany [2] European XFEL GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Ring 19, D-22761 Hamburg, Germany.
authors: S L
authors: SL
authors: Molodtsov
authors: Centre "Bioengineering", Russian Academy of Sciences, 117312 Moscow, Russia.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Kurek
authors: Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, TU Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kammer
authors: Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, TU Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Hunoldt
authors: R&D Chemistry, EKF Diagnostics, D-39179 Barleben, Germany.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Born
authors: Department of Material Commodity Sciences and Textile Metrology, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Łódź, Poland.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Stawski
authors: Max Planck Institute of Biogeochemistry, D-07701, Jena, Germany.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Steinhof
authors: Institute of Experimental Physics, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, D-09599 Freiberg, Germany.
authors: V V
authors: VV
authors: Bazhenov
authors: Steinmann-Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, University of Bonn, D-53115 Bonn, Germany.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Geisler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry; D005580:Fossils; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D011161:Porifera / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides; D002686:Chitin