Multi-scale Investigation of Early Animals Using Advanced Synchrotron Approaches

Objective

The onset and fast diversification of animal life is arguably the most important biotic event in the history of life on Earth, taking place at the end of the Proterozoic and beginning of the Phanerozoic Eons, encompassing the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods. During the latest Ediacaran, a widespread biota of tubular fossils and trace fossils (e.g., burrows in the sediment) not only marks the debut of bilaterian animals, but also of biomineralization processes mediated by animals. The advent of biomineralization forever changed the ecological landscape at the dawn of animal life, influencing ecological interactions, colonization patterns, and consequently the evolution of the first reefs. Tubular animals continued to be among the most common components of Cambrian rocks, while trace fossils show a dramatic increase in the complexity of animal behaviors. Despite the importance of this biota, only few studies dealt with combined aspects of their original three-dimensional morphology and chemical composition, and even then, mostly using lab-based methods that might not provide the necessary resolution to understand the ultrastructure of these fossils at the micro and nanoscale. Evaluating how these fossils and vestiges of early animals are related to the animal tree of life and how they impacted the evolution of Earth (e.g., biomineralization and substrate utilization as key factor in biogeochemical cycles) is the endeavor of MINERVA. With novel and advanced microtomographic approaches at its core, this project will tackle the early evolution of animals through a pioneering combination of advanced synchrotron and lab-based complementary analysis.