1
Return

Recolonization strategies of early animals in the Avalon (Ediacaran 574–560 Ma)

delete2026-02-28
delete0
delete
OA
AI
N
Nile P. Stephenson *
K
Katie M. Delahooke
P
Princess A. Buma-at
B
Benjamin W. T. Rideout
N
Nicole M. Barnes
C
Charlotte G. Kenchington
A
Andrea Manica
E
Emily G. Mitchell
DOI:10.1017/pab.2025.10074delete
deleteOriginal
deleteShare
deleteSave
View PDF
Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
The first geographically widespread metazoans form the Avalon assemblage (Ediacaran; 574–560 Ma). These early animals were regularly disturbed by sedimentation events such as ash flows and turbidites; leading to an apparent “resetting” of communities. However; it is not clear how biological legacies—remains or survivors of disturbance events—influenced community ecology in the Avalon. Here; we use spatial point process analysis on 19 Avalon paleocommunities to test whether two forms of biological legacy (fragmentary remains of Fractofusus and survivor fronds) impacted the recolonization dynamics of Avalon paleocommunities. We found that densities of Fractofusus were increased around the Fractofusus fragments; suggesting that they helped to recolonize the post-disturbance substrate; potentially contributing to the Fractofusus dominance found in 8 of the 19 paleocommunities. However; we found no such effects for survivor fronds. Our results suggest that the evolution of height was for long-distance dispersal rather than local recolonization. In modern deep-sea environments; there is a trade-off between local and long-distance dispersal; and our work demonstrates that this differentiation of reproductive strategies had already developed in the early animals of the Avalon.
Keywords:
Fractofusus
biological legacy
recolonization dynamics
Avalon assemblage
Ediacaran fauna
AI Summary

AI Summary

Key information extracted from the uploaded paper, including a brief overview, abstract, background, key highlights, visual analysis, and future outlook.

Journal

Paleobiology cover
Paleobiology
IF:
2.7
Papers:
97
Citations:
3.9K

Organization

I
independent and canada
Scholars:
1
Papers: 1
Citations: 0
U
university of cambridge
Scholars:
6.8K
Papers: 3.2K
Citations: 3
U
University of Cambridge
Scholars:
7.7W
Papers: 7.1W
Citations: 13.7W
I
independent
Scholars:
32
Papers: 30
Citations: 0
Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Citing Papers

Citing Papers