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Article: The role of experiments in investigating the taphonomy of exceptional preservation

Palaeontology - Vol. 59 Part 1 - Cover Image
Publication: Palaeontology
Volume: 59
Part: 1
Publication Date: January 2016
Page(s): 1 11
Author(s): Derek E. G. Briggs and Sean McMahon
Addition Information

How to Cite

BRIGGS, D.E.G, MCMAHON, S. 2016. The role of experiments in investigating the taphonomy of exceptional preservation. Palaeontology, 59, 1, 1-11.

Author Information

  • Derek E. G. Briggs - Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, USA
  • Sean McMahon - Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, USA

Publication History

  • Issue published online: 18 DEC 2015
  • Article first published online: 19 NOV 2015
  • Manuscript Accepted: 16 OCT 2015
  • Manuscript Received: 1 SEP 2015

Funded By

NASA Astrobiology Institute. Grant Number: NNA13AA90A
Foundations of Complex Life, Evolution, Preservation and Detection on Earth and Beyond

Online Version Hosted By

Wiley Online Library (Free Access)
Get Article: Wiley Online Library [Free Access]

Abstract

In the last 20 years, much taphonomic experimentation has focused on the interpretation of exceptionally preserved fossils. Decay experiments have been used to interpret the features preserved in soft-bodied fossils and to determine the sequence of character loss and its impact on phylogenetic position. Experiments on the impact of microbial communities on decay and mineralization have started to illuminate the processes involved in the fossilization of soft tissues, including embryos. The role of decay in promoting authigenic mineralization has been used to investigate the formation of Ediacaran macrofossils and concretions. Maturation experiments have shown how the constituents of animals and plants are transformed over time to a macromolecular material that converges on a similar stable composition. Other maturation experiments have explained how structural colours in fossils are altered from the original. A major area requiring investigation is the role of specific types of microbes in decay and their impact on sediment and pore water chemistry, as well as the environmental controls that determine their presence and level of activity. Microbial activity has received less attention than other factors in attempts to explain why the occurrence and nature of exceptional preservation varies in time and space through the fossil record.

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