Experimental Formation of a Microbial Death Mask

Darroch, Simon A.F.; Laflamme, Marc; Schiffbauer, James D.; Briggs, Derek E. G.

doi:10.2110/palo.2011.p11-059r

Cited by 90 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…At the same time, however, this actualistic approach adds significant new levels of diagenetic and logistic complexity, not least of which involves the challenge of recovering quantitative data from sediment-bound residues while also monitoring the qualitative effects of sediment on carcass morphology (cf. Plotnick 1986;Allison 1988;Martin et al 2004;Darroch et al 2012). The compounding diagenetic feedbacks between carcasses and sedimentary matrix also make it difficult to resolve underlying mechanisms, though our experimental results introduce some intriguing possibilities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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

Wilson

Butterfield

2014

PALAIOS

106

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“…[23] Although the mechanism that led to the preservation of these organisms remains controversial, and a single explanation may not apply to all localities, most models involve sealing the sediment. Candidates include rapidly forming pyrite crusts referred to as "death masks," [28,116] microbial mats, [28] clay mineral templating [120] and, most recently, early silicate cementation. [29] www.advancedsciencenews.com www.bioessays-journal.com as in concretion formation.…”

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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“…For example, the role played by microbial mats in the cementation and the consequent preservation of footprints has been tested by Marty et al (2009). The ability of mats to stabilize sediments by their cementation around carcasses and induction of authigenic mineralization has been achieved experimentally by Darroch et al (2012). The preservation of an accurate impression and the formation of a mold have also been tested (Iniesto et al, 2013a) as well as the generation and maintenance of a microenvironment close to preserved corpses (Iniesto et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preservation in microbial mats: mineralization by a talc-like phase of a fish embedded in a microbial sarcophagus

et al. 2015

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Microbial mats have been repeatedly suggested to promote early fossilization of macroorganisms. Yet, experimental simulations of this process remain scarce. Here, we report results of 5 year-long experiments performed onfish carcasses to document the influence of microbial mats on mineral precipitation during early fossilization. Carcasses were initially placed on top of microbial mats. After 2 weeks, fish became coated by the mats forming a compact sarcophagus, which modified the microenvironment close to the corpses. Our results showed that these conditions favored the precipitation of a poorly crystalline silicate phase rich in magnesium. This talc-like mineral phase has been detected in three different locations within the carcasses placed in microbial mats for more than 4 years: (1) within inner tissues, colonized by several bacillary cells; (2) at the surface of bones of the upper face of the corpse buried in the mat; and (3) at the surface of several bones such as the dorsal fin which appeared to be gradually replaced by the Mg-silicate phase. This mineral phase has been previously shown to promote bacteria fossilization. Here we provide first experimental evidence that such Mg-rich phase can also be involved in exceptional preservation of animals.

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Experimental Formation of a Microbial Death Mask

Cited by 90 publications

References 60 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

Preservation in microbial mats: mineralization by a talc-like phase of a fish embedded in a microbial sarcophagus

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