Relating Ediacaran Fronds
Open accessAbstract
Ediacaran fronds are key components of terminal-Proterozoic ecosystems. They represent one of the most widespread and common body forms ranging across all major Ediacaran fossil localities and time slices postdating the Gaskiers glaciation, but uncertainty over their phylogenetic affinities has led to uncertainty over issues of homology and functional morphology between and within organisms displaying this ecomorphology. Here we present the first large-scale, multigroup cladistic analysis of Ediacaran organisms, sampling 20 ingroup taxa with previously asserted affinities to the Arboreomorpha, Erniettomorpha, and Rangeomorpha. Using a newly derived morphological character matrix that incorporates multiple axes of potential phylogenetically informative data, including architectural, developmental, and structural qualities, we seek to illuminate the evolutionary history of these organisms. We find strong support for existing classification schema and devise apomorphy-based definitions for each of the three frondose clades examined here. Through a rigorous cladistic framework it is possible to discern the pattern of evolution within and between these clades, including the identification of homoplasies and functional constraints. This work both validates earlier studies of Ediacaran groups and accentuates instances in which previous assumptions of their natural history are uninformative.
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The minimum age for marine planktonic algae (Archaeplastida) is 659-645 Ma.
“Minimum age for marine planktonic algae (Archaeplastida) 659-645 Ma (124)”
From Integrated records of environmental change and evolution challenge the Cambrian Explosion (2019) · cites this paper as [124]
The Introduction dates the Ediacara biota to 571–541 Ma, and the Discussion concerns relationships among Ediacaran fronds. Searches for marine planktonic algae, Archaeplastida, and 659–645 Ma found no passage in our copy addressing the claimed minimum age. Page numbers were not available. (LLM, conf=0.75)
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Dececchi, T. A., Narbonne, G. M., Greentree, C., & Laflamme, M.
- Affiliations
- Queen's University (CA)
- Monash University (AU)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Venue
- Paleobiology
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2017-03-07
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 171-180
- ISSN
- 0094-8373 (ISSN-L)
- 1938-5331
- OpenAlex
- W2533084955
- Cited by
- 40
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 5.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Paleobiology (publishedVersion)
- Monash University Research Portal (Monash University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- BioOne Complete (BioOne) (submittedVersion)
- QSpace (Queen's University Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Keywords
- phylogenetic relatedness, homology, functional morphology, homoplasy, functional constraints, evolutionary history
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