Scientists Discover 90 Strange New Species From 512 Million Years Ago in Chinese Quarry

Fossils reveal how deep-ocean refuges preserved life after mass extinction 512 million years ago.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 11:39am

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Scientists have unearthed over 50,000 fossils from a quarry in Huayuan County, China, revealing 90 previously unknown species that thrived in deep ocean refuges after a mass extinction wiped out nearly half of all marine life 513 million years ago. The fossils, which capture soft tissues, guts, and neural structures in exquisite detail, provide insights into how complex ecosystems survived the ancient apocalypse.

Why it matters

The discovery of the Huayuan biota, a diverse array of species that rivals a modern coral reef, offers a rare glimpse into how life recovered after one of Earth's earliest mass extinction events. The deep continental shelf setting acted as an environmental bunker, shielding complex ecosystems from the ocean deoxygenation that devastated shallow waters during the Sinsk event.

The details

The Huayuan fossils include a wide range of bizarre creatures, from cactus-like spinose animals to armored arthropods, revealing the creative survival strategies that emerged after the near-total collapse of marine life. Researchers were also surprised to find many Huayuan species also appearing in Canada's Burgess Shale deposits, despite being separated by millions of years and thousands of miles, suggesting that post-extinction recovery involved epic transoceanic journeys.

  • The mass extinction event that wiped out nearly half of all marine life occurred 513 million years ago.
  • The Huayuan fossils were discovered in a quarry in Huayuan County, China.

The players

Maoyan Zhu

A senior author on the study and researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology.

Michael Lee

A researcher from South Australia's Museum who notes that the Sinsk event affected shallow water forms most severely.

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What they’re saying

“The Huayuan biota provides the first insights into the impact of the Sinsk event on deeper-water faunas.”

— Maoyan Zhu, Senior author (Nature)

“The new fossils from China demonstrate that the Sinsk event affected shallow water forms most severely.”

— Michael Lee, Researcher (Nature)

What’s next

The discovery of the Huayuan biota fills a critical gap between pre-extinction sites like Chengjiang and younger recovery ecosystems like Burgess Shale, providing a more complete picture of how life rebounded after one of Earth's earliest mass extinction events.

The takeaway

The Huayuan fossils offer a remarkable window into how deep-ocean refuges preserved complex ecosystems during a global catastrophe, highlighting the potential for Earth's oceans to once again serve as a last biological insurance policy against modern biodiversity loss.