The stratigraphical context of the Ediacaran Biota of eastern Newfoundland

A new stratigraphic framework for the Ediacaran Biota of eastern Newfoundland reveals that the Catalina Dome sections are up to 5 million years older than previously thought, challenging existing lithostratigraphic correlations. U-Pb (zircon) dating provides temporal constraints on the rise and fall of the Ediacara biota, supporting the 'Ediacaran Explosion' hypothesis with evidence of early fossil assemblages, taxonomic radiation around 575 million years ago, and the emergence of animals at approximately 565 million years ago. The study also debunks previous claims about nonmarine depositional environments for Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve (MPER) and Catalina Dome, affirming that all known Avalonian rangeomorphs are found in deep-marine facies. Additionally, it highlights the need to re-evaluate traditional taphonomic models due to the discovery that tuffites were deposited by ashy turbidity currents, not ash-falls, which impacts fossil census studies and geoconservation efforts.

Matthews, J. (2015). The stratigraphical context of the Ediacaran Biota of eastern Newfoundland [University of Oxford]. https://doi.org/10.5287/ORA-6QZ15AZYE