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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Origin and impact of the oldest metazoan bioclastic sediments

Full text
Author(s):
Warren, L. V. [1] ; Simoes, M. G. [2] ; Fairchild, T. R. [1] ; Riccomini, C. [1] ; Gaucher, C. [3] ; Anelli, L. E. [1] ; Freitas, B. T. [1] ; Boggiani, P. C. [1] ; Quaglio, F. [1]
Total Authors: 9
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Geociencias, BR-05508080 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, BR-18618000 Botucatu, SP - Brazil
[3] Fac Ciencias, Dept Geol, Montevideo 11400 - Uruguay
Total Affiliations: 3
Document type: Journal article
Source: GEOLOGY; v. 41, n. 4, p. 507-510, APR 2013.
Web of Science Citations: 10
Abstract

The emergence of soft-bodied metazoans and the radiation of the earliest skeletal organisms substantially changed the ecological dynamics of Ediacaran environments, leading to the genesis of biogenic hard-part deposits for the first time in Earth's history. The impact of bioclast origin on sedimentary processes is analyzed herein, focusing on the sedimentology and taphonomy of shell concentrations dominated by the Ediacaran index fossil Cloudina from the Itapucumi Group, Paraguay. Skeletal concentrations include both dense accumulations of parautochthonous, disarticulated specimens ({''}Type 1 deposits{''}) and in situ specimens preserved as loosely packed assemblages ({''}Type 2 deposits{''}). At that time, Cloudina was the critical source of durable biomineralized hard parts in an environment nearly free of other bioclasts. The simple fabric and geometry of these accumulations are typical of Cambrian-style shell beds. Despite their Precambrian age, these deposits indicate that the establishment of the Phanerozoic style of marine substrates and preservation in early shell beds was determined more by the acquisition of hard parts than by environmental changes. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 10/02677-0 - Stable isotope records (C, O and Sr) of the Itapucumi Group and correlation with Corumbá Group (Ediacaran Period)
Grantee:Paulo César Boggiani
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
FAPESP's process: 10/19584-4 - Tectonics and sedimentation of Itapucumi group in the context of Ediacaran carbonatic platforms: a geochemical, geochronological, paleomagnetic and biostratigraphic approach
Grantee:Lucas Verissimo Warren
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral