Burgess Shale-type preservation

The Burgess Shale of British Columbia is famous for its exceptional preservation of mid-Cambrian organisms. Around 69^[1] other sites have been discovered of a similar age, with soft tissues preserved in a similar, though not identical, fashion. Additional sites with a similar form of preservation are known from the Ediacaran^[2] and Ordovician periods.^[3]

These various shales are of great importance in the reconstruction of the ecosystems immediately after the Cambrian explosion. The taphonomic regime results in soft tissue being preserved, meaning that organisms without conventionally fossilized hard parts can be seen. This provides further insight into the organs of more familiar organisms such as the trilobites.

The most famous localities preserving organisms in this fashion are the Canadian Burgess Shale, the Chinese Chengjiang fauna, and the more remote Sirius Passet in north Greenland. However, a number of other localities also exist.

^ Cite error: The named reference Gaines2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cai, Y.; Schiffbauer, J. D.; Hua, H.; Xiao, S. (2012). "Preservational modes in the Ediacaran Gaojiashan Lagerstätte: Pyritization, aluminosilicification, and carbonaceous compression". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 326–328: 109–117. Bibcode:2012PPP...326..109C. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.02.009.
^ Van Roy, P.; Orr, P. J.; Botting, J. P.; Muir, L. A.; Vinther, J.; Lefebvre, B.; Hariri, K. E.; Briggs, D. E. G. (2010). "Ordovician faunas of Burgess Shale type". Nature. 465 (7295): 215–8. Bibcode:2010Natur.465..215V. doi:10.1038/nature09038. PMID 20463737. S2CID 4313285.

[Gaines2008-1] Cite error: The named reference Gaines2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Cai2012-2] Cai, Y.; Schiffbauer, J. D.; Hua, H.; Xiao, S. (2012). "Preservational modes in the Ediacaran Gaojiashan Lagerstätte: Pyritization, aluminosilicification, and carbonaceous compression". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 326–328: 109–117. Bibcode:2012PPP...326..109C. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.02.009.

[DeRoy2010-3] Van Roy, P.; Orr, P. J.; Botting, J. P.; Muir, L. A.; Vinther, J.; Lefebvre, B.; Hariri, K. E.; Briggs, D. E. G. (2010). "Ordovician faunas of Burgess Shale type". Nature. 465 (7295): 215–8. Bibcode:2010Natur.465..215V. doi:10.1038/nature09038. PMID 20463737. S2CID 4313285.

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