Glauconite: Archive Recording Timing and Triggers of Cambrian Radiation

该项目旨在限制复杂动物寒武纪辐射的时间和速度，并测试这一里程碑式生物事件的潜在环境触发因素。新的激光质谱和矿物测绘技术将结合起来精确测定海绿石的年代。海绿石是一种通常形成于寒武纪浅海动物栖息地的硅酸盐矿物。这种创新和经济的方法将产生第一个早期动物进化的高分辨率时间表，其中海绿石为基础的海洋同位素记录确定了寒武纪辐射最有可能的环境触发因素。这项研究的结果包括提高了对动物进化驱动因素的理解，以及为基础研究和应用研究提供了一种新的测年工具。

This project aims to constrain the timing and speed of the Cambrian radiation of complex animals, and to test potential environmental triggers of this milestone bioevent. New laser mass spectrometry and mineral mapping technology will be integrated to precisely date glauconite – a silicate mineral commonly formed in Cambrian shallow marine animal habitats. This innovative and cost-effective approach will produce the first high-resolution timeline of early animal evolution, where the glauconite-based marine isotope record identifies the most likely environmental trigger for the Cambrian Radiation. Outcomes of this study include improved understanding of the drivers of animal evolution, and a new dating tool for basic and applied research.