MICROFOSSILS FROM THE DABIS FORMATION (NAMA GROUP), EDIACARAN: PALEOENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC IMPLICATION

• Grant number: 24/21577-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 28, 2025
• End date: April 27, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Juliana de Moraes Leme Basso
• Grantee: Karina Castaldello Mazzamuto
• Supervisor: Shuhai Xiao
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências (IGC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/07995-0 - Microfossils from the Dabis Formation (Nama Group), Ediacaran: paleoenvironmental and biostratigraphic implications., BP.IC

Abstract

A study on Ediacaran microfossils from the Dabis Formation of the Nama Group is proposed in this work. The primary objective is to enhance our understanding of the paleobiology, paleoenvironmental distribution, and biostratigraphic potential of late Ediacaran microfossils from the Nama Group. The specific goals are: (a) to describe and identify the microfossils present in the Dabis Formation (Nama Group) and (b) to compare the microfossil assemblages of the Dabis Formation with those from other Ediacaran units in Brazil, aiming to establish paleoenvironmental conditions and assess their potential for biostratigraphic correlation. To achieve these objectives, it is crucial to characterize the morphology and composition of the microfossils. This will be accomplished through microscopy techniques (optical, scanning electron, and confocal laser scanning microscopy) and spectrometry (Raman and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry), alongside the use of palynological techniques for microfossil separation. This study is part of the International Continental Drilling Project (ICDP): "GRIND - Geological Research through Integrated Neoproterozoic Drilling". The project aims to explore several coordinated approaches, including geochemical, geochronological, sedimentological, and paleontological high-resolution, multi-proxy studies of sedimentary successions spanning the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods. These efforts seek to evaluate connections between local and global changes in seawater chemistry and the evolution of the biosphere. From a paleontological perspective, the central challenge is to understand the nature and drivers of life's evolution during the Neoproterozoic, which began with simple eukaryotic microorganisms and culminated in the development of diverse, oxygenated ecosystems and complex multicellular life during the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. This research will provide valuable insights into the paleodiversity and paleoenvironment of the Dabis Formation and contribute to the establishment of biostratigraphic relationships and paleoenvironmental conditions that preceded the "Cambrian Explosion."