Taphonomic bias in exceptionally preserved biotas

Saleh, Farid; Antcliffe, Jonathan B.; Lefèbvre, Bertrand; Pittet, Bernard; Laibl, Lukáš; Peris, Franscesc Perez; Lustri, Lorenzo; Guériau, Pierre; Daley, Allison C.

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115873

Cited by 64 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…would be in open oxic conditions. Cambrian Lagerstätte such as the Burgess Shale (515 Ma) and Chengjiang biota (525 Ma) contain our best window into the early evolution of animals (Saleh et al, 2020).…”

Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Anoxia can increase the rate of decay for cnidarian tissue: UsingActinia equinato understand the early fossil record

Hancy

Antcliffe

2020

Geobiology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An experimental decay methodology is developed for a cnidarian model organism to serve as a comparison to the many previous such studies on bilaterians. This allows an examination of inherent bias against the fossilisation of cnidarian tissue and their diagnostic characters, under what conditions these occur, and in what way. The decay sequence of Actinia equina was examined under a series of controlled conditions. These experiments show that cnidarian decay begins with an initial rupturing of the epidermis, followed by rapid loss of recognisable internal morphological characters. This suggests that bacteria work quicker on the epidermis than autolysis does on the internal anatomy. The data also show that diploblastic tissue is not universally decayed more slowly under anoxic or reducing conditions than under oxic conditions. Indeed, some cnidarian characters decay more rapidly under anoxic conditions than they do under oxic conditions. This suggests the decay pathways acting may be different to those affecting soft bilaterian tissue such as soft epidermis and internal organs. What is most important in the decay of soft polyp anatomy is the microbial community, which can be dominated by oxic or anoxic bacteria. Different Lagerstätte, even of the same type, will inevitably have subtle difference in their bacterial communities, which among other factors, could be a control on soft polyp preservation leading to either an absence of compelling soft anthozoans (Burgess Shale) or an astonishing abundance (Qingjiang biota).

show abstract

Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Anoxia can increase the rate of decay for cnidarian tissue: UsingActinia equinato understand the early fossil record

Hancy

Antcliffe

2020

Geobiology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While arthropods, both soft-bodied and biomineralized, dominate the deposit, members of many modern phyla have also been reported; further, in many instances, these represent the first appearances of these phyla in the fossil record (Hou et al 2017). The composition of the Chengjiang biota is similar to the middle Cambrian (Miaolingian; Wuliuan) Burgess Shale Lagerstätte of Canada, and previous research has shown that there are ecological and taphonomic similarities between the two deposits (Conway Morris 1986;Gabbott et al 2004;Dornbos and Chen 2008;Caron et al 2013Caron et al , 2014Zhao et al 2014;Saleh et al 2020). While few, if any species, are shared between the deposits, as they are from distinct biogeographic regions and temporally differentiated, several genera are shared between the Chengjiang biota and the Burgess Shale, as well as other Laurentian BST deposits, including Anomalocaris, Cambroraster, Canadaspis, Choia, Eldonia, Isoxys, Leanchoilia, Sidneyia, Tuzoia, and various trilobites (see Hendricks and Lieberman 2007;Vannier et al 2007;Williams et al 2007;Hendricks et al 2008;Garcia-Bellído and Aceñolaza 2011;Caron et al 2013Caron et al , 2014Hendricks 2013;Kimmig and Pratt 2015;Paterson et al 2015a, b;Hou et al 2017;Lerosey-Aubril et al 2018Harper et al 2019;Kimmig et al 2019a;Pates et al 2019;and Liu et al 2020 for a discussion of Cambrian BST deposits).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 68%

A new species of the deuterostome Herpetogaster from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota of South China

Yang

Kimmig

Lieberman

et al. 2020

Sci Nat

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Cambrian radiation represents a key time period in the history of life. Here, we add to the mounting evidence accumulating on the nature of deuterostomes from this time period through description of a new species of stalked deuterostome, Herpetogaster haiyanensis nov. sp., from the lower Cambrian (series 2, stage 3) Chengjiang biota of China. This represents the first occurrence of the genus in Gondwana, the first juvenile specimen, and the oldest specimens to date. Herpetogaster haiyanensis nov. sp. differs from H. collinsi Caron et al. (2010) in having a stolon that is separated into an outer and inner layer, the segmentation of the body and in the shape and number of branches of the tentacles. The new species reiterates earlier suggestions of deuterostome affinities of the genus―it appears closely related to Phlogites and then successively more distantly related to Cotyledon and Eldonia―and may have fed on hyolithids.

show abstract

“…[ 29 ] Within a decaying carcass, anatomical features can react differently to decay. [ 30 ] Easily degradable structures (e.g., tissues and organs formed of cells) [ 3 ] constitute a hotspot for H 2 S production, whereas more resistant structures (e.g., biomineralized parts), do not produce enough H 2 S, and thus do not pyritize. [ 31 ] Furthermore, decay discrepancies exist even between different fast decaying cellular structures.…”

Section: Enigmatic Structures Are Preserved In Pyrite and Organic Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Exceptionally preserved biotas, preserving soft‐bodied metazoans (e.g., non‐biomineralized arthropods; early chordates), and their labile anatomies (e.g., digestive tracts, muscles, and nervous systems) constitute a unique window on ancient ecosystems. [ 1–3 ] For instance, the Burgess Shale deposit in Canada has yielded a considerable number of spectacular soft bodied fossils of Cambrian age (508 million years old) whose bizarre anatomy, preserved in high fidelity, has been crucial for revealing the earliest evolution of animals. [ 4–10 ] Similarly, exceptionally preserved soft parts in fossils from the slightly younger Fezouata Shale (Ordovician, Morocco) were decisive in ending long‐standing debates on the systematic affinities of various enigmatic taxa (e.g., machaeridians, stylophorans).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogenic Iron Preserves Structures during Fossilization: A Hypothesis

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is hypothesized that iron from biological tissues, liberated during decay, may have played a role in inhibiting loss of anatomical information during fossilization of extinct organisms. Most tissues in the animal kingdom contain iron in different forms. A widely distributed iron‐bearing molecule is ferritin, a globular protein that contains iron crystallites in the form of ferrihydrite minerals. Iron concentrations in ferritin are high and ferrihydrites are extremely reactive. When ancient animals are decaying on the sea floor under anoxic environmental conditions, ferrihydrites may initialize the selective replication of some tissues in pyrite FeS2. This model explains why some labile tissues are preserved, while other more resistant structures decay and are absent in many fossils. A major implication of this hypothesis is that structures described as brains in Cambrian arthropods are not fossilization artifacts, but are instead a source of information on anatomical evolution at the dawn of complex animal life.

show abstract

Taphonomic bias in exceptionally preserved biotas

Cited by 64 publications

References 16 publications

Anoxia can increase the rate of decay for cnidarian tissue: UsingActinia equinato understand the early fossil record

Anoxia can increase the rate of decay for cnidarian tissue: UsingActinia equinato understand the early fossil record

A new species of the deuterostome Herpetogaster from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota of South China

Biogenic Iron Preserves Structures during Fossilization: A Hypothesis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About