Phosphatization is a critical pathway for the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied fossils,with microbes potentially playing a significant role in the process.Previous taphonomic experiments have demonstrated that microbes can rapidly proliferate within soft tissues such as animal embryos,fill the internal spaces of the organism,and replicate its original morphology through microbial pseudomorphisation.However,whether the phosphatization process of fos-sils is identical to the process simulated by these taphonomic experiments remains contentious.In this study,a new type of reticulate microfossils from the early Cambrian Kuanchuanpu Biota is described.The preservation of these fos-sils can be categorized into three types based on the extent of proliferation of microbial filaments,indicating the com-plete taphonomic procedure from the organism's death to microbial invasion and proliferation,and finally to the phos-phatization.These specimens indicate that microbial pseudomorphisation plays a significant role in the phosphatization of soft tissues but is not a required pathway,especially when the organisms possess structures with high resistance to decay,such as mineralized skeletons or chitinous cuticles.These new microfossils are mostly preserved as fragments with consistent structures on both sides,featuring characteristic columnar arrangements of nearly circular and dumb-bell-shaped perforations Due to the simplicity of the fossil structures and the paucity of biological traits,their phylo-genetic positions remain unclear,making them a group of enigmatic fossils that warrant further investigation.
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