The Nama Group of Namibia and South Africa preserves an extraordinary record of marine ecosystems existing in the last ∼15 million years of the Ediacaran, comprising enigmatic and soft-bodied fossils that are part of the first major radiation of macroscopic life. Since their description at the beginning of the 20 th century these fossils have structured debate surrounding the affinities of iconic Ediacaran fossil groups, while ash beds preserved throughout the succession have been crucial to understanding rates and patterns of early animal evolution. Fossils preserved in varying contexts have allowed for detailed reconstructions of Ediacaran paleobiology, while geochemical analyses provide a window into understanding the controls on Ediacaran taphonomic pathways, including crucial – and potentially widespread – roles played by clay minerals in exceptional fossil preservation.
Darroch et al. (Mon,) studied this question.