Precambrian paleobiology, southeast Newfoundland

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The unique preservation and abundance of Ediacaran-type fossils in the Upper Precambrian at Mistaken Point, southeast Newfoundland, provide an ideal test of the hypothesis that the soft-bodied Vendozoa represent a non-metazoan branch of early evolution. Of particular interest is the unusual "spindle-shaped fossils" at this locality. The availability of literally hundreds of fossil impressions will allow a complete study of the anatomy, life history and morphogenesis of this organism in terms of constructional morphology. A key aspect of our project is the integratation of methods from paleoichnology, structural geology, sedimentary geochemistry, sedimentology and micropaleontology to restore and analyze the paleobiology and benthic environment of this Vendozoan fauna. Silicon casts will allow us to develop representative museum collections at Yale and Tubingen universities, thus preserving the important paleontological value of the Mistaken Point locality.