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Hello together, I just got a fossil that I am not sure what to make of. The species ID I got is Nemiana/Beltanelliformis, which I have no reason to doubt so far. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltanelliformis What has me wondering is the preservation. Most pieces the seller had to offer seem to be imprints or remnants of sediment glued together by biofilms as one would expect for the species, like in the third pic. Containing mica interestingly. The piece in question appears covered in a shiny black layer that reminds me very much of what I once found in a glass bottle of coke that had melted in a campfire, turning its sugary content into coal. In case of the fossil it may be other dark minerals of course, but after reading about organically preserved specimens I dared hope that it may be the actual carbon. What do you think? Thanks J
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Ediacaran body fossils are extremely rare in North Carolina. This specimen came from a well dated Ediacaran Site. The site produces Aspidellas, microbial mat, and trace fossils. The Cid fm is the unit exposed in this quarry. Some have argued that this is microbial mat that had been influenced by the movement of water. If you look closely there is at least two specimens and the structure doesn't appear to show the MISS type features. I have sent some photos off to paleontologists who specialize in Ediacaran fossils. I'm eagerly waiting to find out what they think. I have had at least one paleontologist who believes this will be the first record of the presence of these species in the NC Ediacaran!
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New fossil one half the size of a rice grain is oldest Bilaterally symmetrical creature. Ancestor of vertebrates, arthropods, etc. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/mar/23/fossil-ikaria-wariootia-bilateral-organism-human-relative
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Fossils Suggest the Egg Came Before the Chicken https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/fossils-suggest-the-egg-came-before-the-chicken-327885 https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2019/november/animal-embryos.html The paper is: Yin et al. (2019) The Early Ediacaran Caveasphaera Foreshadows the Evolutionary Origin of Animal-like Embryology. Current Biology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.10.057 https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31429-0 Yours, Paul H.
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Ediacaran worm fossil rolls back origins of animal life
Oxytropidoceras posted a topic in Fossil News
These tracks were made by a foot-long worm on a "death march" 550 million years ago. Newsweek, Sept. 4, 2019 (has pictures ) https://www.newsweek.com/ancient-worm-tracks-evolution-life-1457624 Barras, C., 2019. Ancient worm fossil rolls back origins of animal life. Nature, 573(7772), p.15. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02556-x https://www.nature.com/magazine-assets/d41586-019-02556-x/d41586-019-02556-x.pdf Chen, Z., Zhou, C., Yuan, X. and Xiao, S., 2019. Death march of a segmented and trilobate bilaterian elucidates early animal evolution. Nature, pp.1-4. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1522-7 Yours, Paul H.-
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2215291-540-million-year-old-worm-was-first-segmented-animal-that-could-move/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=news https://www.courthousenews.com/scientists-uncover-550-million-year-old-fossils-of-bug-trails/
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Fossil fats suggest animal life got started later than previously though
Oxytropidoceras posted a topic in Fossil News
Earliest animals developed later than assumed, Max Planck Society https://phys.org/news/2019-03-earliest-animals-assumed.html Fossil fats suggest animal life got started later than previously thought. New Atlas. Michael Irving, March 7th, 2019 https://newatlas.com/earliest-animals-evolved-later/58771/ Nettersheim, B.J., Brocks, J.J., Schwelm, A., Hope, J.M., Not, F., Lomas, M., Schmidt, C., Schiebel, R., Nowack, E.C., De Deckker, P. and Pawlowski, J., 2019. Putative sponge biomarkers in unicellular Rhizaria question an early rise of animals. Nature ecology & evolution, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0806-5 A related article: Fossil fats reveal how complex life kicked off after Snowball Earth phase. New Atlas. Michael Irving, January 31st, 2019 https://newatlas.com/fossil-fats-snowball-earth/58292/ yours, Paul H. -
Inside out? Ediacaran fossils might represent internal structures, researchers say. At 560 million-years-old, Ediacarans are truly ancient organisms, but do palaeontologists really know what they looked like? Elizabeth Finkel reports. https://cosmosmagazine.com/palaeontology/inside-out-ediacaran-fossils-might-represent-internal-structures-researchers-say The paper is: Bobrovskiy, I., Krasnova, A., Ivantsov, A., Luzhnaya, E. and Brocks, J.J., 2019. Simple sediment rheology explains the Ediacara biota preservation. Nature ecology & evolution, p.1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-019-0820-7 Yours, Paul H.
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Australian Rancher Succeeds in Decades-Long Quest to Protect Ediacaran Fossils
Oxytropidoceras posted a topic in Fossil News
This Australian farmer is saving fossils of some of the planet’s weirdest, most ancient creatures By Elizabeth Finkel, Science, Mar. 28, 2019 https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03/australian-farmer-saving-fossils-some-planet-s-weirdest-most-ancient-creatures Yours, Paul H.- 1 reply
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As with so many fossils from the Ediacaran, it is not certain to which phylum they belong. According to Fossilworks, Cyclomedusa belongs to Cnidaria. From Wikipedia: "Cyclomedusa was originally thought to be a jellyfish but some specimens seem to be distorted to accommodate adjacent specimens on the substrate, apparently indicating a benthic (bottom-dwelling) creature. The markings do not match the musculature pattern of modern jellyfish. The fossils have been conjectured to represent a holdfast for some stalked form — possibly an octacorallian, or something else entirely."
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I have always been quite fascinated with the early stages of development of life on Earth. My interest really picked up when I first discovered the Ediacaran biota, and who can blame me. Those creatures are so enigmatic and fascinating. I was able to pick up a few specimens, but quickly realized that my desire for fossils greatly outweighed the supply and cost of Ediacaran fossils, and I soon discovered the equally fascinating and enigmatic Lower Cambrian Chengjiang biota. I was, and still am, blown away at the quality of preservation of these soft bodied critters. A lot of specimens come very shoddily or incompletely prepared, and while it's been a steep learning curve, I feel that I'm starting to get the hang of prepping them. I've decided to start posting my latest acquisitions as these fossils are too amazing not to share. First up is Cricocosmia jinningensis, a fairly common palaeoscolecid worm from the Chengjiang biota. I have several specimens but this one is the best. It came partially prepped and I am just now satisfied with the result. You can see remnants of the gut preserved as darker regions in the center of the body. Next up is a small hash plate of Bohemiella romingeri brachiopods from the Middle Cambrian of the Czech Republic. Not my usual purchase, but I felt the specimen was too beautiful to pass up.
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Multiple episodes of rapid evolutionary change may have been linked to climate and oxygen changes from 571 mya on. https://m.phys.org/news/2019-03-ancient-prompt-rethink-animal-evolution.html
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Red Flag on "Medusoid" fossils from the Ediacaran of Namibia
connorp posted a topic in Is It Real? How to Recognize Fossil Fabrications
For those interested in Ediacaran fossils, you may have seen a lot of supposed medusoids coming out of sandstones/quartzites in Namibia. They are usually labeled as unidentified medusoids, but sometimes as the enigmatic genus Namacalathus to command a higher price. At first glance, some specimens do bear resemblance to a top-down cross section of Namacalathus (such as the specimen below), however note that Namacalathus are preserved as calcite skeletons, not as molds in sandstone. A thread discussing these was posted several years ago, without a definitive conclusion. As far as I can find, there have been no published articles on these so called fossils, and perhaps rightly so. After a recent trip to the Field Museum, I am fairly confident that all of these specimens are simply the result of weathering in sandstone. Here is the specimen at the Field Museum that piqued my interest. A quick scan of our favorite auction site will reveal a number of nearly identical specimens listed as medusoid fossils. These holes are likely what are known as tafoni, defined by Wikipedia as "small (less than 1 cm (0.39 in)) to large (greater than 1 meter (3.3 ft)) cave-like features that develop in either natural or manmade, vertical to steeply sloping, exposures of granular rock (i.e., granite, sandstone) with smooth concave walls, and often round rims and openings." They have various methods of formation, but the more "Namacalathus"-looking specimens look (at least to me) to be the result of iron nodules rusting out. They may also be several tafoni that overlapped. Here is an image of tafoni in sandstone from Namibia. (image credit Wikipedia) Regardless of the exact process of formation, I am confident in saying that these are not fossils. There are plenty of other Ediacaran fossils out there for purchase, and given the high price tag these pseudofossils seem to command, I hope this post helps collectors avoid wasting money. -
According to Hagadorn et al., Tirasiana coniformis might be a synonym of Aspidella terranovica Billings, 1872. Lit.: MacGabhann, B. A. (2007) Discoidal fossils of the Ediacaran biota: a review of current understanding. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 286, 297-313, 1 January 2007, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP286.21
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Wikipedia: "The slug-like organism fed by scratching the microbial surface on which it dwelt in a manner similar to the gastropods, although its affinity with this group is contentious." Reference reconstruction: Copyright holder Micha L. Rieser (Wikipedia) Dorsal view of Kimberella. a ) striae b ) crenellated zone c ) proximal ridge d ) distal ridge e ) anterior knoll f ) lobe g ) medial depressionor or midline ridge Lit. Links: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225327295_New_reconstruction_of_Kimberella_problematic_Vendian_Metazoan https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260191577_Guidebook_of_the_field_paleontological_excursion_Zimnie_Gory_-_locality_of_the_Vendian_Ediacaran_soft-bodied_animals Lit.: A.Yu. Ivantsov (2009) A New Reconstruction of Kimberella, a Problematic Vendian Metazoan ISSN 0031-0301, Paleontological Journal, 2009, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 601–611. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2009. Original Russian Text published in Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal, 2009, No. 6, pp. 3–12.
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Earth's Magnetic Field Almost Collapsed 565 Million Years Ago
Oxytropidoceras posted a topic in Fossil News
Earth's Magnetic Field Almost Collapsed 565 Million Years Ago Our planet's core probably started solidifying in the late Ediacaran period, which recharged the magnetic field in the nick of time. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/9kpywp/earths-magnetic-field-collapse-ediacaran-core-solidification https://www.newsweek.com/earth-magnetic-field-collapse-inner-core-solid-geodynamo-solar-wind-1307659 The (paywalled) papers are: Richard K. Bono, John A. Tarduno, Francis Nimmo & Rory D. Cottrell 2019. Young inner core inferred from Ediacaran ultra-low geomagnetic field intensity. Nature Geoscience 12, pages 143–147. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-018-0288-0 Peter Driscoll, Geodynamo recharged Nature Geoscience 12, pages 83–84 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-019-0301-2 It is strange how so many odd things occurred during the Ediacaran period. One question is how did this along with everything else did or did not affect evolution of plants and animals? Yours, Paul H.- 3 replies
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References: Andrey Ivantsov et al.: Guidebook of the field paleontological excursion: Zimnie Gory - locality of the Vendian (Ediacaran) soft-bodied animals. link
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From the album: Invertebrates
Tirasiana coniformis Palij, 1976 Ediacaran Karachiivtsi Ukraine -
Ediacaran Palaeopascichnus delicatus Palij, 1976
oilshale posted a gallery image in Member Collections
From the album: Invertebrates
Palaeopascichnus delicatus Palij, 1976 Ediacaran Mohyliv-Podilskyi Group Mohylev Formation Bernashivka Ukraine From Wikipedia: Palaeopascichnus is a genus of Ediacaran organism comprising a series of lobes; it is plausibly a protozoan, but probably unrelated to the classical 'Ediacaran biota'. Lit.: ANTCLIFFE, J., GOODAY A. and BRASIER, M.: TESTING THE PROTOZOAN HYPOTHESIS FOR EDIACARAN FOSSILS: A DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS OF PALAEOPASCICHNUS. Palaeontology, Vol. 54, Part 5, 2011, pp . 1157–1175-
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Ediacaran Namacalathus hermanastes Grotzinger et al., 2000
oilshale posted a gallery image in Member Collections
From the album: Invertebrates
Namacalathus hermanastes Grotzinger et al., 2000 Ediacaran Nama Group Kuibis Quarzit Fish River Canyon Namibia Lit.: Zhuravlev AY, Wood RA, Penny AM. 2015 Ediacaran skeletal metazoan interpreted as a lophophorate. Proc. R. Soc. B 282 : 20151860. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.1860-
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From the album: Invertebrates
Cyclomedusa davidi Sprigg, 1947 Upper Ediacaran Mohylev formation Yampil beds Bernashivka Ukraine Diameter ~ 9cm / 4"-
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From the album: Invertebrates
Tirasiana coniformis Palij, 1976 Ediacaran Karachiivtsi Ukraine-
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A rangeomorph holdfast trace fossil from the Ediacara formation, Rawnsley quartzite of the Flinders Range, South Australia. This specimen is Medusina mawsoni, so called because it was until recently thought to be a jellyfish, but is now believed to be the attachment point of a fractal rangeomorph as Charniodiscus is the point of anchorage for Charnia sp. This one may have been the holdfast point for some species of Rangea. The diameter of the outer circle is 1.5 cm and the fossil is estimated to be 555 million years old.
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- nisusia
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- proterozoic
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- ellipsocephalus
- lower cambrian
- lingulella davisii
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- late cambrian
- linguella davisii
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- ptychagnostus gibbus
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Until recently classified as a jellyfish, Medusina mawsoni is now considered to be the trace where a holdfast where a rangeomorph such as Rangea was connected to the substrate as in Charniodiscus being the base of Charnia. This specimen is thus about 555 million years old and is from the Rawnsley Quartzite.
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