Avalon-type fossils are crucial to understanding the origin of Phanerozoic ecosystems, but their usual occurrence in volcaniclastic and siliciclastic facies greatly limits their paleobiological resolution. The unique carbonate-hosted assemblage of the Khatyspyt Formation, on the Olenek uplift of north-central Siberia, promises a much enhanced anatomical and paleoecological view of these enigmatic organisms. Avalon-type fossils are preserved by authigenic carbonate cementation in intervals of fi nely laminated nodular limestones (Khatyspyt-type taphonomic window). Interbedded silicifi ed calcareous mudstones yield diverse carbonaceous compressions, occasionally with taphonomic phantoms of Avalon-type taxa (Miaohetype taphonomic window). Styles of moldic preservation do not appear to be taxon selective, and therefore cannot alone be responsible for the morphological distinctiveness of Ediacaran macro fossils and the profound disparity in the taxonomic composition between fossil assemblages. On the other hand, the exclusion of Avalon-type fossils from carbonaceous compressions (Miaohe-type preservational window) is a real taphonomic signal that provides an important constraint on the properties of certain Ediacaran tissues.

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The first biozone (Anabarites trisulcatus Assemblage Zone) in the Siberian hypostratotype of the Vendian (northwestern slope of the Olenek Uplift) is represented by the Turkut Formation of the Khorbusuonka Group and most of the Syhargalakh Formation of the Kessyusa Group. The lower part of the Kessyusa Group in some of the sections includes stratiform breccia coeval with the middle part of the Syhargalakh Formation. The breccia is shown to be the alteration product of tuff breccia, which is widely distributed in the region and occurs as diatremes. A U–Pb zircon date of 543.9 ± 0.24 Ma for tuff breccia provides the best constraint on the age of the boundary between the Anabarites trisulcatus and Purella antiqua Assemblage Zones. The first appearance of small skeletal fossils Cambrotubulus decurvatus (which define the base of the Anabarites trisulcatus Assemblage Zone) is 1.4 m above the lower boundary of the Turkut Formation. Ichnofabric in the underlying Khatyspyt Formation is globally distributed in the strata 553–551 million years old, always predating the first appearance of small skeletal fossils of the Anabarites trisulcatus Assemblage Zone. The base of the Anabarites trisulcatus Assemblage Zone is therefore younger than 553–551 Ma, whereas the duration of the assemblage zone does not exceed six million years.

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