David Harper
Research Interests
The sirius passet lagerstätte of north greenland : A remote window on the cambrian explosion
Author
Summary, in English
The lower Cambrian Lagerstätte of Sirius Passet, Peary Land, North Greenland, is one of the oldest of the Phanerozoic exceptionally preserved biotas. The Lagerstätte evidences the escalation of numbers of new body plans and life modes that formed the basis for a modern, functionally tiered ecosystem. The fauna is dominated by predators, infaunal, benthic and pelagic, and the presence of abundant nekton, including large sweep-net feeders, suggests an ecosystem rich in nutrients. Recent discoveries have helped reconstruct digestive systems and their contents, muscle fibres, and visual and nervous systems for a number of taxa. New collections have confirmed the complex combination of taphonomic pathways associated with the biota and its potentially substantial biodiversity. These complex animal-based communities within the Buen Formation were associated with microbial matgrounds, now preserved in black mudstones deposited below storm wave base that provide insight into the shift from late Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran) to Cambrian substrates and communities. Moreover, the encasing sediment holds important data on the palaeoenvironment and the water-column chemistry, suggesting that these animal-based communities developed in conditions with very low oxygen concentrations.
Department/s
- Lithosphere and Biosphere Science
- Division of Translational Cancer Research
Publishing year
2019-07-26
Language
English
Pages
1023-1037
Publication/Series
Journal of the Geological Society
Volume
176
Issue
6
Document type
Journal article review
Publisher
Geological Society of London
Topic
- Geology
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0016-7649