Philip B. Vixseboxse

Led by Dr William McMahon, this manuscript explores the mechanisms driving near-census-level preservation of Ediacaran communities. These communities were buried by obrution events with negligible erosional scour, and thus the bedding planes upon which these fossils are preserved are often considered "true substrates". Therefore, we propose inclusion of Ediacaran Impression Fossils within a true substrate conceptual framework. 

Decay processes result in complex redox zonation around carcasses, leading to broadly concentric regions of variable redox state wherein minerals may dissolve, persist, or precipitate. As such, understanding the nature of this zonation has important implications for our interpretation of taphonomic processes leading to exceptional preservation of soft tissues. Here, we describe a new protocol to stabilize taphonomic experiments via buffered solvent replacement - permitting impregnation with water-incompatible resins. 

Studying the orientations of taxa on the E Surface of Mistaken Point, we found that stemless taxa commonly showed bidirectional distributions, while stemmed taxa showed clear unidirectional felling. We propose that the stemless taxa were less resistant to currents, and were felled during turbulent conditions, whereas stemmed taxa were more resistant to felling, and were felled during higher-velocity laminar flow conditions. 

Led by Dr Frankie Dunn, this manuscript studied the branching architecture of exceptional three-dimensionally-preserved specimens of Charnia from the White Sea and Charnwood Forest. Producing a matrix of morphological characters that included this new mode of morphological construction, we were able to resolve Charnia as a stem-group eumetazoan, with strong statistical support. 

Led by Dr Emily Mitchell, we explored the spatial distribution of Ediacaran animals across seven individual Avalonian communities. Spatial point process analyses reveal that niche processes had little effect on palaeocommunity structuring, with neutral processes dominating - in contrast to modern niche-structured communities. This suggests a fundamental transition in community structure at the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary.

Led by Dr Charlotte Kenchington, this manuscript provides a synopsis of ongoing work on fossils from the Charnwood Forest area. We provide an overview of the geology, and explore the palaeobiology of this novel assemblage. Additionally, we describe the use of Polynomial Texture Mapping (also known as Reflectance Transformation Imaging) as a powerful approach for the digitization and interpretation of Ediacaran fossils.

As a former Rockwatcher of many years, I was delighted to be approached to help lead the annual Rockwatch Dorset Residential trip in 2023, and returned for 2024. This trip allows Rockwatchers to explore key geological concepts over several days - such as the effect of tectonics on environmental facies, climate change over geological timeframes, and the structural geology of southern England.