Survey of the Fossil Record of Neoproterozoic Eukaryotes

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9400712 Knoll Processes of organic decay and fossilization impose strong filters on the paleontological record. Because extraordinarily well-preserved fossils retain biological information not commonly available in sedimentary rocks, they have played a key role in the interpretation of plant and animal evolution. They are equally important in attempts to understand Precambrian life. I propose a comprehensive systematic, taphonomic, paleoecological, and biostratigraphic study of three exceptionally well-preserved fossil assemblages that collectively shed significant new light on the early history of eukaryotic organisms: the ca.750 million year old (Ma) Multicolored Series, Greenland; the 100-1100 Ma old Ruyang Group, China; and what is among the best preserved and most diverse of all Precambrian fossil assemblages, the 600-580 Ma old Doushantuo Formation, south China. Information gathered in these studies will contribute to a new data base (DELTA System) of Proterozoic Eukaryotes that will simultaneously serve as a taxonomic key and a tool for exploring the environmental and age distribution of radiating eukaryotic taxa and characters. In a practical vein, these data will contribute to a growing biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental framework that is proving valuable in rapidly expanding exploration for Neoproterozoic resources.