Paleoecology vs taphonomy: Unraveling the molecular fossil record of the Mesoproterozoic Lakhanda Lagerstätte (SE Siberia, Russia)

中元古界末期的Lakhanda Lagerstätte（1025-1010 Ma;俄罗斯西伯利亚东南部）提供了对早期真核生态系统的罕见一瞥。它含有丰富的真核生物体化石和同生分子化石，可以进行详细的古生态研究。尽管有明显的身体化石记录，真核生物（甾烷）的分子化石是罕见的，这是中元古代记录的典型特征。到目前为止，尚不清楚这是否反映了古生态信号或由于埋藏偏见。该项目旨在通过对分子化石组合（沥青和干酪根）进行详细分析，调查Lakhanda Lagerstätte的古生态学和埋藏学。与沉积学和古生物学证据一起，获得的数据将提供有关早期真核生物地质记录的重要背景信息，并为其生态系统提供新的认识。

The terminal Mesoproterozoic Lakhanda Lagerstätte (1025-1010 Ma; SE Siberia, Russia) provides a rare glimpse into early eukaryotic ecosystems. It contains abundant body fossils of eukaryotic affinity and syngeneitic molecular fossils, allowing for detailed paleoecological investigations. Despite the apparent body fossil record, molecular fossils of eukaryotes (steranes) are rare, a typical characteristic of the mesoproterozoic record. As yet it is not clear whether this reflects a paleoecological signal or is due to a taphonomic bias. This project aims at investigating the paleoecology and taphonomy of the Lakhanda Lagerstätte by conducting detailed analyses of molecular fossil assemblages (bitumen and kerogen). Together with sedimentological and paleontological evidence, the obtained data will provide important background information on the geological record of early eukaryotes, and shed new light on their ecosystems.