Cambroclaves are a group of enigmatic, phosphatized, hollow spine-shaped sclerites, known from their geographically widespread Early to Middle Cambrian fossils, which occur exclusively in shallow waters within the photic zone. They were probably originally aragonitic. They are lobate with long spines protruding centrally; these spines are in some cases (e.g. Zhijinites) pillar-like, constituted of a bundle rods (originally aragonite?) with an Ionic-like appearance. Some taxa have been compared to spicules of ecdysozoan worms, whereas others likely belong to Protomelission-like organisms, which have been argued to be affiliated with the dasycladalean green algae and the bryozoans.
Subdivisions
Family Zhijinitidae (Qian, 1978) Genus Ambarchaeooides Genus Cambroclavus Genus Cambrothyra Genus Deiradovclavus Genus Deltaclavus Genus Isoclavus Genus Paracarinachites Genus Pseudoclavus Genus Sinoclavus Genus Tanbaoites Genus Zhijinites Qian, Y. 1978: The early Cambrian hyolithids in central and southwest China and their stratigraphical significance. Memoirs of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology 11.
See also Paracarinachitid
References