DISCOVERY OF THE EARLY AND MIDDLE CAMBRIAN CHOIIDAE FROM GUIZHOU, SW CHINA

Here described are well preserved Choiidae (sponges) including two genera, two new species and two sp. indet.: Choia zunyiensis sp. nov. and Choia sp. from the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation Biota at Songlin town of the Zunyi area; Choiaella ovata sp. nov. and Choiaella sp. from the Middle Cambrian Kaili Biota at Balang village, Taijiang County, Guizhou. Choia was originally described from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Biota, Yunnan, S W China and the Middle Cambrian biotas in North America. Choiaella was originally found in the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Biota. The discovery of Choiidae from the Early and Middle Cambrian in Guizhou provides new information on early metazoans.