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Palaeontology

Undressing and redressing Ediacaran embryos

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Abstract

Arising from: J. V. Bailey, S. B. Joye, K. M. Kalanetra, B. E. Flood & F. A. Corsetti Nature 445, 198–201 (2007)10.1038/nature05457; Bailey et al. reply

Bailey et al.1 propose that the Ediacaran microfossils Megasphaera and Parapandorina, previously interpreted as animal resting eggs and blastula embryos2, represent Thiomargarita-like sulphide-oxidizing bacteria, claiming that this interpretation better explains their abundance and taphonomy. Here we highlight important observations that significantly weaken the authors' conclusions.

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Figure 1: Doushantuo microfossils.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, 24060, Virginia, USA

    Shuhai Xiao

  2. State Key Laboratory of Paleobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Chuanming Zhou & Xunlai Yuan

Authors
  1. Shuhai Xiao
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  2. Chuanming Zhou
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  3. Xunlai Yuan
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Correspondence to Shuhai Xiao.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Xiao, S., Zhou, C. & Yuan, X. Undressing and redressing Ediacaran embryos. Nature 446, E9–E10 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05753

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