THE SHANWANG FOSSIL BIOTA IN EASTERN CHINA - A MIOCENE KONSERVAT-LAGERSTATTE IN LACUSTRINE DEPOSITS

The Miocene Shanwang biota in eastern China is one of the taxonomically most diversified and extraordinarily well-preserved lacustrine fossil deposits in the world. This study provides the historical and geological background, documents the taxonomic diversity, and examines the preservational style of this unique Konservat-Lagerstatte. A 30 m thick diatomaceous shale (the lower part of the Shanwang Formation), deposited in a small and volcanically related lake basin under a warm temperate climate, hosts more than 500 fossil species, including fungi, diatoms, higher plants, insects, ostracodes, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The excellent preservation of the fossils has yielded (1) non-mineralized organic tissues of animals and plants; (2) detailed morphology of delicate organs such as flowers, feathers, and hairs; (3) original coloration of plants and insects; and (4) completely articulated animal bodies with in situteeth, skin, and even stomach contents. The highly diversified fossil biota shows a complex interrelationship of cooccurring organisms that once lived in a eutrophic water body with a dense forest nearby. The preservation of soft tissues among the Shanwang fossils provides feasible material for further molecular-level investigation of these Miocene organisms.