1. The Waukesha Biota: a wonderful window into early Silurian life.
- Author
-
Gass, Kenneth C. and Braddy, Simon J.
- Subjects
- *
BIOTIC communities , *MUDSTONE , *RARE animals , *TRILOBITES , *LAMINATED materials - Abstract
The Waukesha Biota (Brandon Bridge Formation Lagerstätte) is a diverse assemblage of early Silurian (437 Ma) shallow marine fossils from Wisconsin, USA. Their exceptional preservation, in finely laminated dolomitic mudstones, was mediated by tidally‐influenced conditions and/or microbial entombment. Shelly biomineralized animals are rare, but soft‐bodied organisms are common. Arthropods dominate, including trilobites, phyllocarids, ostracodes, a thylacocephalan, a synziphosurine and various enigmatic groups. The fauna also includes evolutionary 'holdovers', such as palaeoscolecids and a lobopodian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF