The earliest sponge spicule tufts from the Cambrian Lower Yanjiahe Formation, Three Gorges area, South China
As phylogenetically basal metazoans, sponges (phylum Porifera) provide crucial insights into the origins of animal biomineralization and early body plan innovation. However, articulated sponge fossils remain exceptionally rare in Ediacaran–Cambrian transition strata, with most records limited to isolated spicules or ambiguous biomineralized structures. This study reports siliceous and phosphatical
