Decay and Mineralization of Shrimps

Briggs, Derek E. G.; Kear, Amanda J.

doi:10.2307/3515135

Cited by 230 publications

(181 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…In montmorillonite, Crangon typically occurred as thin cuticular films adhering to uncollapsed sedimentary matrix, along with significant accumulations of a pinkish-white mineral within the body cavityprobably calcium phosphate (cf. Briggs and Kear 1994a). Although equivalent to Stage 3 or better in some respects (e.g., the robustly preserved tail fan), the overall quality of Crangon preservation in montmorillonite was substantially lower than its counterparts in kaolinite, calcite, and ASW.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sediment Effects on the Preservation of Burgess Shale-Type Compression Fossils

Wilson

Butterfield

2014

PALAIOS

106

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Experimental burial of polychaete (Nereis) and crustacean (Crangon) carcasses in kaolinite, calcite, quartz, and montmorillonite demonstrates a marked effect of sediment mineralogy on the stabilization of nonbiomineralized integuments, the first step in producing carbonaceous compression fossils and Burgess Shale-type (BST) preservation. The greatest positive effect was with Nereis buried in kaolinite, and the greatest negative effect was with Nereis buried in montmorillonite, a morphological trend paralleled by levels of preserved protein. Similar but more attenuated effects were observed with Crangon. The complex interplay of original histology and sediment mineralogy controls system pH, oxygen content, and major ion concentrations, all of which are likely to feed back on the preservation potential of particular substrates in particular environments. The particular susceptibility of Nereis to both diagenetically enhanced preservation and diagenetically enhanced decomposition most likely derives from the relative lability of its collagenous cuticle vs. the inherently more recalcitrant cuticle of Crangon. We propose a mechanism of secondary, sediment-induced taphonomic tanning to account for instances of enhanced preservation. In light of the marked effects of sediment mineralogy on fossilization, the Cambrian to Early Ordovician taphonomic window for BST preservation is potentially related to a coincident interval of glauconite-prone seas.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2D), suggesting that sediment sealing may be essential for fossilization via early diagenetic mineralization (cf. Briggs and Kear 1994a;Gaines et al 2012).…”

Section: Taphonomic Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment Effects on the Preservation of Burgess Shale-Type Compression Fossils

Wilson

Butterfield

2014

PALAIOS

106

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“…[46][47][48][49][50][51][52] Annelids and arthropods decaying under different conditions of oxygen and temperature, for example, showed consistent patterns of morphological decay, reflecting the nature of their tissues. [49][50][51]53] Interpretations of soft-bodied fossils were informed by which features were more likely to survive decay versus those that degraded rapidly. [46,54] Observations of decay of the lancelet Branchiostoma lanceolatum, for example, were used to argue that the axial lines preserved along the trunk of conodonts represent the notochord, and that the apparent offset position of the conodont elements below the head reflects the decay of the supporting tissue.…”

Section: Boxmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soft‐Bodied Fossils Are Not Simply Rotten Carcasses – Toward a Holistic Understanding of Exceptional Fossil Preservation

et al. 2017

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Exceptionally preserved fossils are the product of complex interplays of biological and geological processes including burial, autolysis and microbial decay, authigenic mineralization, diagenesis, metamorphism, and finally weathering and exhumation. Determining which tissues are preserved and how biases affect their preservation pathways is important for interpreting fossils in phylogenetic, ecological, and evolutionary frameworks. Although laboratory decay experiments reveal important aspects of fossilization, applying the results directly to the interpretation of exceptionally preserved fossils may overlook the impact of other key processes that remove or preserve morphological information. Investigations of fossils preserving nonbiomineralized tissues suggest that certain structures that are decay resistant (e.g., the notochord) are rarely preserved (even where carbonaceous components survive), and decay-prone structures (e.g., nervous systems) can fossilize, albeit rarely. As we review here, decay resistance is an imperfect indicator of fossilization potential, and a suite of biological and geological processes account for the features preserved in exceptional fossils.

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“…Most experiments have used single-layered biofilms (e.g., experiments on Diptera, Peñalver, 2001; Echinoidea, Raff et al, 2008;and fish, Martín-Abad and PoyatoAriza, 2010). Analyses testing complex, multilayered biofilms (i.e., microbial mats) are rare (e.g., Crustacea, Briggs and Kear, 1994;Sagemann et al, 1999). We present herein an actualistic approach, in which specimens of the Teleostei fish Paracheirodon inessi (family Characidae) were placed on biomats that were previously grown in the laboratory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Involvement of Microbial Mats in Delayed Decay: An Experimental Essay on Fish Preservation

Iniesto

López-Archilla

Fregenal-Martínez

et al. 2013

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Microbial mats have been implicated in exceptional fossil preservation. Few analyses have addressed how these complex-multilayered biofilms promote fossil preservation. The sequence of changes during decay of neon tetra fish were tracked up to 27 months, and their decomposition in mats was compared against nonmat sediments (control fish). Statistically significant differences in quantitative variables (length, width, and thickness) are provided (ANOVA test, in all cases, P , 0.001). Changes in the qualitative features (body-head, fins, scale connection, and eye and body coloration) were phenetically analyzed resulting in two clusters and highlighting that notable differences in decay began at day 15. Mat fish show a delayed decomposition maintaining the external and internal body integrity, in which soft organs were preserved after 27 months as shown by Magnetic Resonance Imaging. We discuss how the organization, structure, and activity of this community are interrelated, favoring exceptional preservation. Microbial mats entomb the fish from the earliest stages, forming a Ca-rich coat over the carcass while embedding it in an anoxic condition. This quick entombment provides important protection against abiotic and/or biotic agents.

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Decay and Mineralization of Shrimps

Cited by 230 publications

References 21 publications

Sediment Effects on the Preservation of Burgess Shale-Type Compression Fossils

Sediment Effects on the Preservation of Burgess Shale-Type Compression Fossils

Soft‐Bodied Fossils Are Not Simply Rotten Carcasses – Toward a Holistic Understanding of Exceptional Fossil Preservation

Involvement of Microbial Mats in Delayed Decay: An Experimental Essay on Fish Preservation

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