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36-599: The Pebidian Supergroup is an Ediacaran (i.e. late Precambrian ) lithostratigraphic supergroup (a sequence of rock strata ) in Pembrokeshire , west Wales . The term 'Pebidian' (along with Dimetian ) was coined by geologist Henry Hicks in 1876 and published in a scientific paper in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society in the following year. It was named for Pebidiauc , an ancient local name for

72-462: A morphological grouping rather than a true phylogenetic group, soft-bodied organisms vary enormously in anatomy. Cnidarians and flatworms have a single opening to the gut and a diffuse nerve system . The roundworms , annelids , molluscs , the various lophoporate phyla and non-vertebrate chordates have a tubular gut open at both ends. While the majority of the soft-bodied animals typically don't have any kind of skeleton, some do, mainly in

108-511: A chemically distinctive carbonate layer that is referred to as a " cap carbonate ", because it caps glacial deposits. This bed is characterized by an unusual depletion of C that indicates a sudden climatic change at the end of the Marinoan ice age . The lower global boundary stratotype section (GSSP) of the Ediacaran is at the base of the cap carbonate (Nuccaleena Formation), immediately above

144-475: A film of nematodes. The location of towns would be decipherable, since for every massing of human beings there would be a corresponding massing of certain nematodes. Trees would still stand in ghostly rows representing our streets and highways. The location of the various plants and animals would still be decipherable, and, had we sufficient knowledge, in many cases even their species could be determined by an examination of their erstwhile nematode parasites." Being

180-644: A name that was earlier, in 1952, proposed by Russian geologist and paleontologist Boris Sokolov . The Vendian concept was formed stratigraphically top-down, and the lower boundary of the Cambrian became the upper boundary of the Vendian. Paleontological substantiation of this boundary was worked out separately for the siliciclastic basin (base of the Baltic Stage of the Eastern European Platform ) and for

216-777: Is a geological period of the Neoproterozoic Era that spans 96 million years from the end of the Cryogenian Period at 635 Mya to the beginning of the Cambrian Period at 538.8 Mya. It is the last period of the Proterozoic Eon as well as the last of the so-called " Precambrian supereon", before the beginning of the subsequent Cambrian Period marks the start of the Phanerozoic Eon, where recognizable fossil evidence of life becomes common. The Ediacaran Period

252-404: Is also thought to be a soft-bodied organism, a 55 metres (180 ft) long thread-like bootlace worm , Lineus longissimus found on a Scottish beach 1864. Siphonophores may grow to considerable sizes too, though they are colonial organisms , and each single animal is small. Most soft-bodied organisms are as small or smaller, even microscopic. The various organisms grouped as mesozoans and

288-603: Is named after the Ediacara Hills of South Australia , where trace fossils of a diverse community of previously unrecognized lifeforms (later named the Ediacaran biota ) were first discovered by geologist Reg Sprigg in 1946. Its status as an official geological period was ratified in 2004 by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), making it the first new geological period declared in 120 years. Although

324-640: The Shuram excursion is prolonged and is estimated to last for ~9.0 Myrs. As to the Treptichnus pedum , a reference ichnofossil for the lower boundary of the Cambrian, its usage for the stratigraphic detection of this boundary is always risky, because of the occurrence of very similar trace fossils belonging to the Treptichnids group well below the level of T. pedum in Namibia , Spain and Newfoundland , and possibly, in

360-656: The carbonate basin (base of the Tommotian stage of the Siberian Platform ). The lower boundary of the Vendian was suggested to be defined at the base of the Varanger ( Laplandian ) tillites . The Vendian in its type area consists of large subdivisions such as Laplandian, Redkino , Kotlin and Rovno regional stages with the globally traceable subdivisions and their boundaries, including its lower one. The Redkino, Kotlin and Rovno regional stages have been substantiated in

396-404: The muscles can attach and act as levers / cantilevers to redirect force and produce locomotive propulsion . These rigid parts also serve as structural elements to resist gravity and ambient pressure , as well as sometimes provide protective surfaces shielding internal structures from trauma and exposure to external thermal, chemical and pathogenic insults. Such physical structures are

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432-419: The roundworms are extremely numerous. The nematodologist Nathan Cobb described the ubiquitous presence of nematodes on Earth as follows: "In short, if all the matter in the universe except the nematodes were swept away, our world would still be dimly recognizable, and if, as disembodied spirits, we could then investigate it, we should find its mountains, hills, vales, rivers, lakes, and oceans represented by

468-580: The western United States . The stratigraphic range of T. pedum overlaps the range of the Ediacaran fossils in Namibia, and probably in Spain. The Ediacaran Period is not yet formally subdivided, but a proposed scheme recognises an Upper Ediacaran whose base corresponds with the Gaskiers glaciation , a Terminal Ediacaran Stage starting around 550  million years ago , a preceding stage beginning around 575 Ma with

504-504: The Avalon explosion 575 million years ago and died out during the End-Ediacaran extinction event 539 million years ago. Forerunners of some modern animal phyla also appeared during this period, including cnidarians and early bilaterians , as well as mollusc -like Kimberella . Hard-bodied organisms with mineralized shells also began their fossil record in the last few million years of

540-514: The C-isotope data are concerned, due to primary lateral variations of δ C carb in the upper layer of the ocean. Furthermore, Oman presents in its stratigraphic record a large negative carbon isotope excursion, within the Shuram Formation that is clearly away from any glacial evidence strongly questioning systematic association of negative δ C carb excursion and glacial events. Also,

576-950: The Ediacara Hills fossil site. The Ediacaran marks the first widespread appearance of complex multicellular fauna following the end of the Cryogenian global glaciation known as the Snowball Earth . The relatively sudden evolutionary radiation event, known as the Avalon Explosion , is represented by now-extinct, relatively simple soft-bodied animal phyla such as Proarticulata ( bilaterians with simple articulation , e.g. Dickinsonia and Spriggina ), Petalonamae ( sea pen -like animals, e.g. Charnia ), Aspidella (radial-shaped animals, e.g. Cyclomedusa ) and Trilobozoa (animals with tri-radial symmetry , e.g. Tribrachidium ). Most of these organisms appeared during or after

612-462: The Ediacaran. The supercontinent Pannotia formed and broke apart by the end of the period. The Ediacaran also witnessed several glaciation events , such as the Gaskiers and Baykonurian glaciations . The Shuram excursion also occurred during this period, but its glacial origin is unlikely. The Ediacaran Period overlaps but is shorter than the Vendian Period (650 to 543 million years ago),

648-779: The Elatina diamictite in the Enorama Creek section, Brachina Gorge, Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The GSSP of the upper boundary of the Ediacaran is the lower boundary of the Cambrian on the SE coast of Newfoundland approved by the International Commission on Stratigraphy as a preferred alternative to the base of the Tommotian Stage in Siberia which was selected on the basis of the ichnofossil Treptichnus pedum (Seilacher, 1955). In

684-659: The Nama biotic assemblage. There is evidence for a mass extinction during this period from early animals changing the environment, dating to the same time as the transition between the White Sea and the Nama-type biotas. Alternatively, this mass extinction has also been theorised to have been the result of an anoxic event . The relative proximity of the Moon at this time meant that tides were stronger and more rapid than they are now. The day

720-695: The St Davids area. These rocks are exposed in the St David's peninsula in northwestern Pembrokeshire. One outcrop stretches east from Treginnis, wrapping around the north of St David's to Treglemais. Another underlies Hayscastle Cross with scattered outcrops elsewhere in the area. The supergroup comprises at its base the Treginnis, Treglemais and Penrhiw 'Groups' of the Lower Pebidian which include trachytic and andesitic tuffs and halleflinta . Overlying these are

756-511: The age range of 635 to 538.8 million years is based on correlations to other countries where dating has been possible. The base age of approximately 635 million years is based on U–Pb ( uranium – lead ) and Re–Os ( rhenium – osmium ) dating from Africa, China, North America, and Tasmania. The fossil record from the Ediacaran Period is sparse, as more easily fossilized hard-shelled animals had yet to evolve. The Ediacaran biota include

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792-475: The animal kingdom; and many have hardened teeth that allow them to chew , bite and burrow despite the rest of body being soft. Most soft-bodied animals are small, but they do make up the majority of the animal biomass . If we were to weigh up all animals on Earth with hard parts against soft-bodied ones, estimates indicate that the biomass of soft-bodied animals would be at least twice that of animals with hard parts, quite possibly much larger. Particularly

828-431: The cap carbonates in a rather short distance but cap carbonates do not occur above every tillite elsewhere in the world. The C-isotope chemostratigraphic characteristics obtained for contemporaneous cap carbonates in different parts of the world may be variable in a wide range owing to different degrees of secondary alteration of carbonates, dissimilar criteria used for selection of the least altered samples, and, as far as

864-453: The commonly referred "skeletons", which may be internal (as in vertebrates , echinoderms and sponges ) or external (as in arthropods and non- coleoid molluscs ). However, many soft-bodied animals do still have a functional skeleton maintained by body fluid hydrostatics known as a hydroskeleton , such as that of earthworms , jellyfish , tapeworms , squids and an enormous variety of invertebrates from almost every phyla of

900-543: The curious Placozoa are typically composed of just a few hundred cells . The lack of hard parts in soft-bodied organisms makes them extremely rare in the fossil record . Accordingly, the evolutionary histories of many of the soft-bodied groups are poorly known. The first major find of fossil soft-bodied animals was from the Burgess Shale in Canada . Today, several sites with Burgess Shale type preservation are known, but

936-707: The earliest widespread Ediacaran biota fossils; two proposed schemes differ on whether the lower strata should be divided into an Early and Middle Ediacaran or not, because it is not clear whether the Shuram excursion (which would divide the Early and Middle) is a separate event from the Gaskiers, or whether the two events are correlated. The dating of the rock type section of the Ediacaran Period in South Australia has proven uncertain due to lack of overlying igneous material. Therefore,

972-478: The form of stiff cuticles (roundworms, water bears ) or hydrostatic skeletons (annelids). While lack of a skeleton typically restricts the body size of soft-bodied animals on land, marine representatives can grow to very large sizes. The heaviest soft-bodied organisms are likely the giant squids , with maximum weight estimated at 275 kilograms (606 lb) for females, while arctic lion's mane jellyfish may reach comparable sizes. The longest animal on record

1008-490: The history of stratigraphy it was the first case of usage of bioturbations for the System boundary definition. Nevertheless, the definitions of the lower and upper boundaries of the Ediacaran on the basis of chemostratigraphy and ichnofossils are disputable. Cap carbonates generally have a restricted geographic distribution (due to specific conditions of their precipitation) and usually siliciclastic sediments laterally replace

1044-682: The oldest definite multicellular organisms (with specialized tissues), the most common types of which resemble segmented worms, fronds, disks, or immobile bags. Auroralumina was a cnidarian . Most members of the Ediacaran biota bear little resemblance to modern lifeforms, and their relationship even with the immediately following lifeforms of the Cambrian explosion is rather difficult to interpret. More than 100 genera have been described, and well known forms include Arkarua , Charnia , Dickinsonia , Ediacaria , Marywadea , Cephalonega , Pteridinium , and Yorgia . However, despite

1080-486: The overall enigmaticness of most Ediacaran organisms, some fossils identifiable as hard-shelled agglutinated foraminifera (which are not classified as animals) are known from latest Ediacaran sediments of western Siberia. Sponges recognisable as such also lived during the Ediacaran. Four different biotic intervals are known in the Ediacaran, each being characterised by the prominence of a unique ecology and faunal assemblage. The first spanned from 635 to around 575 Ma and

1116-621: The period took namesake from the Ediacara Hills in the Nilpena Ediacara National Park , the type section is actually located in the bed of the Enorama Creek within the Brachina Gorge in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park , at 31°19′53.8″S 138°38′0.1″E  /  31.331611°S 138.633361°E  / -31.331611; 138.633361 , approximately 55 km (34 mi) southeast of

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1152-401: The time from the end of global Marinoan glaciation to the first appearance worldwide of somewhat complicated trace fossils ( Treptichnus pedum (Seilacher, 1955)). Although the Ediacaran Period does contain soft-bodied fossils , it is unusual in comparison to later periods because its beginning is not defined by a change in the fossil record. Rather, the beginning is defined at the base of

1188-677: The tuffs, lavas and conglomerates of the Caerbwdy Group , Ramsey Sound Group and the Rhosson Group . Uppermost i.e. youngest is the Ogofgolchfa Group which includes slates and tuffs. This whole assemblage has also been referred to as the Pebidian Volcanic Complex or Pebidian Volcanic Series . Ediacaran The Ediacaran ( / ˌ iː d i ˈ æ k ər ə n , ˌ ɛ d i -/ EE -dee- AK -ər-ən, ED -ee- )

1224-468: The type area of the Vendian on the basis of the abundant organic-walled microfossils , megascopic algae, metazoan body fossils and ichnofossils . The lower boundary of the Vendian could have a biostratigraphic substantiation as well taking into consideration the worldwide occurrence of the Pertatataka assemblage of giant acanthomorph acritarchs . The Ediacaran Period (c. 635–538.8 Mya) represents

1260-416: Was 21.9 ± 0.4 hours, and there were 13.1 ± 0.1 synodic months/year and 400 ± 7 solar days/year. A few English language documentaries have featured the Ediacaran Period and biota: Soft-bodied organism All animals have a muscular system of some sort but, since myocytes are tensile actuator units that can only contract and pull but never push, some animals evolved rigid body parts upon which

1296-456: Was dominated by acritarchs known as large ornamented Ediacaran microfossils . The second spanned from around 575 to 560 Ma and was characterised by the Avalon biota. The third spanned from 560 to 550 Ma; its biota has been dubbed the White Sea biota due to many fossils from this time being found along the coasts of the White Sea . The fourth lasted from 550 to 539 Ma and is known as the interval of

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