The Ediacaran Faunas

1
The Ediacaran Fauna(s)
An Interesting/Intriguing Geological concept-

• Also Known as The Ediacaran Biota, Vendian
  Fauna(s), Vendozoa

Illustration Source http//celestia.albacete.org/
celestia/deriva/precamb.htm
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The Garden of Ediacara

• One of the great mysteries of modern Geology and
  Palaeontology
• Exceptional Fossilisation
• Large number of fossils show no morphological
  similarity to any phyla

Illustration Source http//www.cartage.org.lb/en/
themes/Sciences/Paleontology
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Ediacaran Biota
Left Dickinsonia - Vendian Animal fossil
thought to represent the annelid worms Image Ref
http//www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vendian/dickinsonia.j
pg
Right Spriggina - Vendian Animal fossil has
been classified as an annelid worm or more
recently as a form of undescribed Arthropod
Taxa. Image Ref http//www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vend
ian/spriggina.gif.
Left Charnia Wardi - Vendian fossil has yet to
be fully classified, currently assigned to the
Order Rangeomorpha Image Ref http//geol.queensu.
ca/museum/exhibits/ediac/drook/calvert.html
Background Illustration Source
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ediacaran_biota
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Worldwide Distribution of Ediacaran Fossil
Assemblages
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Further Reading

• Very Little in course Text-books so
• G.J.H. McCALL, The Vendian (Ediacaran) in the
  geological record Enigmas in geology's prelude
  to the Cambrian explosion, Earth-Science
  Reviews, Volume 77, Issues 1-3, July 2006, Pages
  1-229. doi 10.1016/j.earscirev.2005.08.004- A
  very thorough history of Ediacaran fossil
  discovery with lengthy descriptions of
  assemblages.
• Mary L. DROSER, James G. GEHLING and Soren R.
  JENSEN, Assemblage palaeoecology of the Ediacara
  biota The unabridged edition?, Palaeogeography,
  Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Volume 232,
  Issues 2-4, , 22 March 2006, Pages 131-147.
  doi10.1016/j.palaeo.2005.12.015 - Description
  of Ediacaran Palaeoecology

Illustration Source http//ourworld.compuserve.co
m/homepages/dp5/evod2.htm