ASSEMBLAGE PALAEOECOLOGY OF THE EDIACARA BIOTA: THE UNABRIDGED EDITION?

Abstract

Fossils of the Ediacara biota offer our earliest insight into diverse macroscopic life on this planet. In particular, given the diversity and range of exquisite soft-bodied preservation, the potential for unraveling aspects of the paleobiology and paleoecology is great. Clearly, however, there can be a taphonomic overprint that dictates how complete the assemblage is. New diversity data (including richness and evenness) from South Australia is compared to previously published data from Newfoundland and the White Sea and is within the range of values for both modern and Phanerozoic assemblages. However, missing from our current understanding of Ediacaran ecosystems is a full description and interpretation of the many problematica structures and organic surfaces. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.