CHENGJIANG
(YUNNAN, CHINA)
Lower Cambrian rocks in Yunnan Province, southwestern
China, contain the most significant fossil deposit anywhere on Earth - the Chengjiang
Lagerstätte. Abundant and beautifully preserved fossils of
nonmineralizing organisms occur in the Heilinpu Formation. They represent
creatures living soon after the Cambrian Explosion, the most significant &
enigmatic evolutionary event in Earth history. Chengjiang fossils were
"first found" near the small city of Chengjiang in 1984. They
have since been reported from numerous localities in eastern & east-central
Yunnan Province.
MAOTIANSHAN
This photo depicts the “discovery locality” of the
Chengjiang Lagerstätte. This is the world-famous Maotianshan
outcrop (“hat-shaped hill” / “hat-shaped mountain”) [not “Mao's tall
hill”]. This was originally a hillslope exposure, but is now a roadside
fossil quarry.
Locality:
the outcrop is along the western side of Maotianshan, ~3.2 km east-northeast of
Jiucheng & ~5.4 km east-southeast of the city of Chengjiang, in
east-central Chengjiang County, far-northeastern Yuxi Prefecture, east-central
Yunnan Province, southwestern China.
GPS
of cut: 24° 39' 38"
North, 102° 57' 56" East.
MAANSHAN
Looking ~ENE.
The pic above shows an exposure of structurally tilted
& deeply weathered clayshales of the Heilinpu Formation at the Maanshan
outcrop. Soft-bodied fossils are abundant here.
Locality:
Maanshan (“Maan Hill” / “Maan Mountain”) is located ~0.8 to 0.9 km northwest of
Ganhaizi & ~6.3 km due east of Chengjiang, eastern Chengjiang County,
far-northeastern Yuxi Prefecture, east-central Yunnan Province, southwestern
China.
GPS of cut: 24° 40' 36" North, 102° 58' 45" East.
Looking ~N.
This is the view from the Maanshan outcrop.
Notice that the Chinese have terraced steep hillsides for growing food (China
has tons & tons of people!).