Ediacaran epifaunal tiering

Research Article| July 01, 2002 Ediacaran epifaunal tiering M.E. Clapham; M.E. Clapham 1Department of Geological Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar G.M. Narbonne G.M. Narbonne 1Department of Geological Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information M.E. Clapham 1Department of Geological Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada G.M. Narbonne 1Department of Geological Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 14 Dec 2001 Revision Received: 15 Mar 2002 Accepted: 22 Mar 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2002) 30 (7): 627–630. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)0302.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 14 Dec 2001 Revision Received: 15 Mar 2002 Accepted: 22 Mar 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation M.E. Clapham, G.M. Narbonne; Ediacaran epifaunal tiering. Geology 2002;; 30 (7): 627–630. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)0302.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Epifaunal tiering, the subdivision of vertical space within a community, is a fundamental attribute of Phanerozoic suspension-feeding communities. This paper documents tiering, including the presence of meter-tall organisms, in Neoproterozoic Ediacaran communities. Ediacaran tiering was studied from three exceptionally preserved deep-water communities at Mistaken Point, Newfoundland, which contain in situ census populations of hundreds to thousands of organisms. Tiering consists of overlapping populations of dominant organisms and is characterized by gradational, rather than abrupt, tier boundaries. At least three tiers are apparent: a lower level 0–8 cm above the seafloor, an intermediate level between 8–22 cm above the seafloor, and an upper level that extends as high as 120 cm. Tier boundaries are relatively consistent between communities, but the constituent organisms in each level are variable, suggesting that some Ediacaran taxa could fill different tiers interchangeably. Development of a tiered epifaunal structure is consistent with suspension feeding or absorbing dissolved nutrients directly from seawater. Despite the common occurrence of tall organisms, all communities share a similar population structure in which biomass is concentrated in the basal 10 cm above the seafloor. Comparison with shallow-water Ediacaran localities suggests that the observed tiering structure is typical of Ediacaran communities. Ediacaran tierers also show the fundamental subdivision between organisms and/or colonies that fed along their entire length and those that developed a specialized feeding apparatus, implying that the features of Phanerozoic tiered skeletal ecosystems were first initiated in soft-bodied communities in the late Neoproterozoic. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.