Li et al. report surface fouling of the early Cambrian animal Vetulicola by small, encrusting tubular organisms from the Chengjiang biota of Yunnan Province in China, a ~518 million year old marine deposit. These specimens provide evidence for early escalation of intimate ecologies and biofouling as a previously unrecognised component of the evolution of early marine ecosystems.
- Yujing Li
- Mark Williams
- Peiyun Cong
