Artifacts resembling Ediacaran or Cambrian fossils: how to identify them and avoid their generation
<p>The generation of artifacts during sample preparation must be considered in paleobiological studies, particularly during the Ediacaran and Cambrian, since such artifacts can assume forms similar to those of cloudinids and other problematic taxa commonly described in samples from these syste...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Micropalaeontology |
| Online Access: | https://jm.copernicus.org/articles/42/83/2023/jm-42-83-2023.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>The generation of artifacts during sample preparation must be
considered in paleobiological studies, particularly during the Ediacaran and
Cambrian, since such artifacts can assume forms similar to those of
cloudinids and other problematic taxa commonly described in samples from
these systems. Chemical reactions between hydrogen peroxide and sulfides
from the samples can lead to the formation of tubular and vase-shaped
structures. The visual description alone does not allow a conclusion about whether their
origin is organic or inorganic. In these cases, chemical composition and
ultrastructure analysis are tools that help to distinguish artifacts from
bona fide fossils. Scanning electron microscopy can be successfully employed
to characterize and differentiate fossils from artifacts. The presence or
absence of these structures in thin sections is also an essential piece of
information to discuss their biogenicity. Furthermore, not using hydrogen
peroxide avoids the risk of formation of the artifacts described here.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 0262-821X 2041-4978 |