A new Burgess Shale-type deposit from the Ediacaran of western Mongolia

• DOI: 10.1038/srep23438
• Publication Date: 2016-03-18T10:25:44Z
• Authors: Stephen Q. Dornbos; Tatsuo Oji; Akihiro Kanayama; Sersmaa Gonchigdorj
• Keywords: Biota; Taphonomy

Preservation of soft-bodied organisms is exceedingly rare in the fossil record. One way that such fossils are preserved as carbonaceous compressions fined-grained marine sedimentary rocks. These deposits exceptional preservation known Burgess Shale-type (BST) deposits. During Cambrian Period, BST more common and provide a crucial view early animal evolution. The earliest definitive evidence for macroscopic animal-grade found preceding Ediacaran Period. from rarer lack conclusive animals. Here we report discovery new deposit with non-mineralizing macro-organisms thinly bedded black shale Zavkhan Province, western Mongolia. This assemblage, here named Zuun-Arts biota, currently consists two species probable multicellular benthic algae. species, Chinggiskhaania bifurcata n. gen., sp., dominates biota. other Zuunartsphyton delicatum three specimens. SEM-EDS analysis shows composed aluminosilicate clay minerals some carbon, composition comparable to Shale opens window through which late Precambrian life.