Asynchronized cell division in embryo-like fossils from the Ediacaran Zhenba microfossil assemblage

Ediacaran embryo-like spherical fossils exhibit diverse cell adhesion patterns resembling partial cleavage-stage embryos of living animals. Two three-celled specimens characterized by a pair of small cells overlying a large cell have been recovered from the Ediacaran Zhenba microfossil assemblage. Their cell adhesion pattern is highly comparable to a phenomenon reported from the Weng'an biota that was interpreted as fossil embryos undergoing discoidal cleavage. However, our specimens contain fewer cells and thus probably represent developmental precursors of the Weng'an counterparts. Additionally, new material shows several anatomical features that are inconsistent with an embryo interpretation, including (1) an unusually large volume of “blastomeres,” (2) a putative nucleus preserved within the large “yolk cell,” and (3) completely separated cells. Collectively, the Zhenba embryo-like specimens permit a reconstruction of the consecutive developmental sequence from single-celled individuals to the three-celled individuals, leading us to interpret the newly found specimens as products of abnormal development of Ediacaran embryo-like organisms whose affinity remains unresolved.