Ichnological evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians from the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition of Brazil

Luke  Parry; Paulo C.  Boggiani; Daniel  Condon; Russell Garwood; Juliana  de M. Leme; Duncan McIlroy; Martin D Brasier; Ricardo  Trindade; Ginaldo A. C.  Campanha; Mírian L. A. F.  Pacheco; Cleber Q. C.  Diniz; Alexander G.  Liu; Alexander G. Liu

doi:10.1038/s41559-017-0301-9

Ichnological evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians from the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition of Brazil

Luke Parry, Paulo C. Boggiani, Daniel Condon, Russell Garwood, Juliana de M. Leme, Duncan McIlroy, Martin D Brasier , Ricardo Trindade, Ginaldo A. C. Campanha, Mírian L. A. F. Pacheco, Cleber Q. C. Diniz, Alexander G. Liu, Alexander G. Liu

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Abstract

The evolutionary events during 36 the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition (~541 Ma) are unparalleled in Earth history. The fossil record suggests that most extant animal phyla appeared in a geologically brief interval, with the oldest unequivocal bilaterian body fossils found in early Cambrian. Molecular clocks and biomarkers provide independent estimates for the timing of animal origins, and both suggest a cryptic Neoproterozoic history for Metazoa that extends considerably beyond the Cambrian fossil record. We report an assemblage of ichnofossils from Ediacaran–Cambrian siltstones in Brazil, alongside U-Pb radioisotopic dates that constrain the age of the oldest specimens to 555–542 Ma. X-ray microtomography reveals three-dimensionally preserved traces ranging from 50–600μm in diameter, indicative of small-bodied, meiofaunal tracemakers. Burrow morphologies suggest they were created by a nematoid-like organism that utilised undulating locomotion to move through the sediment. This assemblage demonstrates animal-sediment interactions in the latest Ediacaran Period, and provides the oldest known fossil evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians. Our discovery highlights meiofaunal ichnofossils as a hitherto unexplored window for tracking animal evolution in deep time, and reveals that both meiofaunal and macrofaunal bilaterians began to explore infaunal niches during the late Ediacaran.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1455-1464
Number of pages	10
Journal	Nature Ecology & Evolution
Volume	1
Early online date	11 Sept 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0301-9
Publication status	Published - 2017

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ICAL: Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life
Garwood, R. (PI), Wogelius, R. (PI), Sansom, R. (PI), Buckley, M. (PI), Chamberlain, A. (CoI), Manning, P. (PI), Egerton, V. (CoI), Sellers, W. (PI), Nudds, J. (CoI), Bulot, L. G. (CoI), Brocklehurst, R. (PGR student), Brassey, C. A. (PI), Keating, J. (CoI), La Porta, A. (CoI), Brocklehurst, R. (PGR student), Callender-Crowe, L. (PGR student), Wallace, E. (PGR student), Chester, J. (PGR student), Davenport, J. (PGR student), Tuley, K. (PGR student), Lomax, D. (Researcher), Reeves, J. (PGR student), Smart, C. (PGR student), Ferro, C. (PGR student), Karoullas, C. (PGR student), Heath, J. (PGR student), Dickson, A. (PGR student), Austin Sydes, L. (PGR student), McLean, C. (PGR student), Harvey, V. (PGR student), Jones, K. (PI), Peacock, C. (PGR student), Gordon, P. (PGR student), Oldfield, E.-M. (PGR student), Webb, E. (PGR student), Roberts, F. (PGR student), Savage, H. (PGR student), Chester, J. (PGR student), Jepson, J. (Researcher), Keating, J. (Researcher) & Schwab, J. (Researcher)
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Parry, L., Boggiani, P. C., Condon, D., Garwood, R., de M. Leme, J., McIlroy, D., Brasier , M. D., Trindade, R., Campanha, G. A. C., Pacheco, M. L. A. F., Diniz, C. Q. C., Liu, A. G., & Liu, A. G. (2017). Ichnological evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians from the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition of Brazil. Nature Ecology & Evolution , 1, 1455-1464. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0301-9

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title = "Ichnological evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians from the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition of Brazil",

abstract = "The evolutionary events during 36 the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition (\textasciitilde{}541 Ma) are unparalleled in Earth history. The fossil record suggests that most extant animal phyla appeared in a geologically brief interval, with the oldest unequivocal bilaterian body fossils found in early Cambrian. Molecular clocks and biomarkers provide independent estimates for the timing of animal origins, and both suggest a cryptic Neoproterozoic history for Metazoa that extends considerably beyond the Cambrian fossil record. We report an assemblage of ichnofossils from Ediacaran–Cambrian siltstones in Brazil, alongside U-Pb radioisotopic dates that constrain the age of the oldest specimens to 555–542 Ma. X-ray microtomography reveals three-dimensionally preserved traces ranging from 50–600μm in diameter, indicative of small-bodied, meiofaunal tracemakers. Burrow morphologies suggest they were created by a nematoid-like organism that utilised undulating locomotion to move through the sediment. This assemblage demonstrates animal-sediment interactions in the latest Ediacaran Period, and provides the oldest known fossil evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians. Our discovery highlights meiofaunal ichnofossils as a hitherto unexplored window for tracking animal evolution in deep time, and reveals that both meiofaunal and macrofaunal bilaterians began to explore infaunal niches during the late Ediacaran.",

author = "Luke Parry and Boggiani, \{Paulo C.\} and Daniel Condon and Russell Garwood and \{de M. Leme\}, Juliana and Duncan McIlroy and Brasier, \{Martin D\} and Ricardo Trindade and Campanha, \{Ginaldo A. C.\} and Pacheco, \{M{\'i}rian L. A. F.\} and Diniz, \{Cleber Q. C.\} and Liu, \{Alexander G.\} and Liu, \{Alexander G.\}",

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doi = "10.1038/s41559-017-0301-9",

language = "English",

volume = "1",

pages = "1455--1464",

journal = "Nature Ecology \& Evolution ",

issn = "2397-334X",

publisher = "Nature Research",

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AU - Parry, Luke

AU - Boggiani, Paulo C.

AU - Condon, Daniel

AU - Garwood, Russell

AU - de M. Leme, Juliana

AU - McIlroy, Duncan

AU - Brasier , Martin D

AU - Trindade, Ricardo

AU - Campanha, Ginaldo A. C.

AU - Pacheco, Mírian L. A. F.

AU - Diniz, Cleber Q. C.

AU - Liu, Alexander G.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - The evolutionary events during 36 the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition (~541 Ma) are unparalleled in Earth history. The fossil record suggests that most extant animal phyla appeared in a geologically brief interval, with the oldest unequivocal bilaterian body fossils found in early Cambrian. Molecular clocks and biomarkers provide independent estimates for the timing of animal origins, and both suggest a cryptic Neoproterozoic history for Metazoa that extends considerably beyond the Cambrian fossil record. We report an assemblage of ichnofossils from Ediacaran–Cambrian siltstones in Brazil, alongside U-Pb radioisotopic dates that constrain the age of the oldest specimens to 555–542 Ma. X-ray microtomography reveals three-dimensionally preserved traces ranging from 50–600μm in diameter, indicative of small-bodied, meiofaunal tracemakers. Burrow morphologies suggest they were created by a nematoid-like organism that utilised undulating locomotion to move through the sediment. This assemblage demonstrates animal-sediment interactions in the latest Ediacaran Period, and provides the oldest known fossil evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians. Our discovery highlights meiofaunal ichnofossils as a hitherto unexplored window for tracking animal evolution in deep time, and reveals that both meiofaunal and macrofaunal bilaterians began to explore infaunal niches during the late Ediacaran.

AB - The evolutionary events during 36 the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition (~541 Ma) are unparalleled in Earth history. The fossil record suggests that most extant animal phyla appeared in a geologically brief interval, with the oldest unequivocal bilaterian body fossils found in early Cambrian. Molecular clocks and biomarkers provide independent estimates for the timing of animal origins, and both suggest a cryptic Neoproterozoic history for Metazoa that extends considerably beyond the Cambrian fossil record. We report an assemblage of ichnofossils from Ediacaran–Cambrian siltstones in Brazil, alongside U-Pb radioisotopic dates that constrain the age of the oldest specimens to 555–542 Ma. X-ray microtomography reveals three-dimensionally preserved traces ranging from 50–600μm in diameter, indicative of small-bodied, meiofaunal tracemakers. Burrow morphologies suggest they were created by a nematoid-like organism that utilised undulating locomotion to move through the sediment. This assemblage demonstrates animal-sediment interactions in the latest Ediacaran Period, and provides the oldest known fossil evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians. Our discovery highlights meiofaunal ichnofossils as a hitherto unexplored window for tracking animal evolution in deep time, and reveals that both meiofaunal and macrofaunal bilaterians began to explore infaunal niches during the late Ediacaran.

U2 - 10.1038/s41559-017-0301-9

DO - 10.1038/s41559-017-0301-9

M3 - Article

SN - 2397-334X

VL - 1

SP - 1455

EP - 1464

JO - Nature Ecology & Evolution

JF - Nature Ecology & Evolution

ER -

Ichnological evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians from the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition of Brazil

Abstract

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