The Ediacaran biota in miniature: palaeoecological and palaeobiological insights from sub-centimetre fossils.

This project will provide the most accurate picture of Ediacaran palaeocommunities yet obtained, via investigation of growth and palaeoecology within recently discovered, exceptionally preserved, fossil assemblages of small (<30mm length) specimens of Ediacaran macrofossil taxa from Newfoundland. Small specimens reflect a significant but largely undocumented component of Ediacaran marine palaeoenvironments, and include both known and undescribed taxa. This project will characterize intra- and inter-specific interactions within palaeocommunities, and test hypotheses regarding reproduction and community development. A primary focus will be to elucidate the role of filamentous connective structures in Ediacaran ecosystems. Additional assessment of ontogeny and development amongst specific taxa will aim to constrain their phylogenetic affinities.

The student will collect palaeobiological data from existing collections of casts and laser scan datasets at the University of Cambridge, and from field sites, to assess spatial and temporal ecological interactions amongst Ediacaran macrofossil taxa. Measurements of morphological features within populations will be used to investigate ontogeny and reproduction. Spatial Point Process Analyses (SPPA) will detect intra- and inter-specific competition, permitting assessment of the role of small specimens in community development. The project will involve visits to field sites in Newfoundland, Canada, including the Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Catalina Dome on the Bonavista Peninsula. Certain casts will be studied using x-ray tomography (micro-CT scanning) to obtain sub-millimetric morphological data. The project could potentially be expanded to consider local-scale biogeochemical interactions between these organisms and their environments.