Early Pennsylvanian Lagerstatte reveals a diverse ecosystem on a subhumid, alluvial fan.

ABSTRACT: Much of what we know about terrestrial life during the Carboniferous Period comes from Middle Pennsylvanian (~315-307 Mya) Coal Measures deposited in low-lying wetland environments^1-5. We know relatively little about terrestrial ecosystems from the Early Pennsylvanian, which was a critical interval for the diversification of insects, arachnids, tetrapods, and seed plants^6-10. Here we report a diverse Early Pennsylvanian trace and body fossil Lagerstätte (~320-318 Mya) from the Wamsutta Formation of eastern North America, distinct from coal-bearing deposits, preserved in clastic substrates within basin margin conglomerates. The exceptionally preserved trace fossils and body fossils document a range of vertebrates, invertebrates and plant taxa (n = 131), with 83 distinc

SUBMITTER: Knecht RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11383953 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature