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Peer-reviewedCC BYCommunications Earth & Environment

Enhanced upwelling and subsequent photic zone euxinia linked to the two-phase late Cambrian Marjuman extinction

  • Xiangdong Wang1
  • He Zhao2
  • Stephen E. Grasby3
  • Peter A. Cawood4
  • Zhengyi Lyu1
  • Lei Zhang1
  • Xinyang Yao1
  • Zhenfeng Luo1
4 affiliations
  1. 1State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)
  2. 2College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)
  3. 3Geological Survey of Canada–Calgary, Natural Resources Canada
  4. 4Department of Earth Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University
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Abstract

The middle–late Cambrian witnessed recurrent biotic crises in the aftermath of the Cambrian explosion, exemplified by the late Cambrian end-Marjuman Biomere Extinction linked to major environmental perturbations across the Guzhangian–Paibian boundary. However, the precise mechanisms underlying this biodiversity collapse remain unclear. Mercury isotopes from two slope sections in South China reveal enhanced upwelling during the late Guzhangian, followed by photic zone euxinia in the early–middle Paibian, corresponding to the two extinction phases. This mercury record suggests that initial upwelling, followed by hydrogen sulfide toxicity in shallow oceans, drove the two-stage collapse of shallow marine shelf faunas in South China. Furthermore, this study strengthens the case that the coupled positive Δ199Hg (mass-independent isotope fractionation) and negative δ202Hg (mass-dependent isotope fractionation) shifts can serve as a tracer for upwelling in Precambrian–Cambrian oceans. Collectively, our mercury isotopes offer new insights into the dynamic interactions between ocean chemistry and early animal evolution in the middle–late Cambrian.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{wang2026enhanced,
  title = {{Enhanced upwelling and subsequent photic zone euxinia linked to the two-phase late Cambrian Marjuman extinction}},
  author = {Xiangdong Wang and He Zhao and Stephen E. Grasby and Peter A. Cawood and Zhengyi Lyu and Lei Zhang and Xinyang Yao and Zhenfeng Luo},
  journal = {Communications Earth \& Environment},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1038/s43247-026-03846-9},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03846-9},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Enhanced upwelling and subsequent photic zone euxinia linked to the two-phase late Cambrian Marjuman extinction
AU  - Xiangdong Wang
AU  - He Zhao
AU  - Stephen E. Grasby
AU  - Peter A. Cawood
AU  - Zhengyi Lyu
AU  - Lei Zhang
AU  - Xinyang Yao
AU  - Zhenfeng Luo
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - Communications Earth & Environment
DO  - 10.1038/s43247-026-03846-9
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03846-9
AB  - The middle–late Cambrian witnessed recurrent biotic crises in the aftermath of the Cambrian explosion, exemplified by the late Cambrian end-Marjuman Biomere Extinction linked to major environmental perturbations across the Guzhangian–Paibian boundary. However, the precise mechanisms underlying this biodiversity collapse remain unclear. Mercury isotopes from two slope sections in South China reveal enhanced upwelling during the late Guzhangian, followed by photic zone euxinia in the early–middle Paibian, corresponding to the two extinction phases. This mercury record suggests that initial upwelling, followed by hydrogen sulfide toxicity in shallow oceans, drove the two-stage collapse of shallow marine shelf faunas in South China. Furthermore, this study strengthens the case that the coupled positive Δ199Hg (mass-independent isotope fractionation) and negative δ202Hg (mass-dependent isotope fractionation) shifts can serve as a tracer for upwelling in Precambrian–Cambrian oceans. Collectively, our mercury isotopes offer new insights into the dynamic interactions between ocean chemistry and early animal evolution in the middle–late Cambrian.
SN  - 2662-4435
ER  -