The earliest Phanerozoic hardground occurs from the middle Cambrian of China.
The hardgrounds develop on oolitic grainstone, oncolitic wackestone, and microbialite.
Microbialites encrusted hardgrounds, whereas macroborers were generally absent.
Metazoan encrustors and macroborers could not inhabited newly appeared hardgrounds.
Additional evidence of middle Cambrian calcite sea is presented by hardgrounds.