Babcock 9405990 The Chengjiang Biota is the oldest known fossil assemblage of exceptionally preserved organisms in the world, including soft- bodied and shell-bearing animals, as well as marine plants. This assemblage is a unique window into the history of early metazoan evolution. In collaboration with Chinese colleagues, PI will 1) complete systematic and comparative studies of the organisms, 2) determine biogeographic affinities of the organisms, 3) describe the small shelly fossils, 4) interpret aspects of preservation of the fossils, and 5) describe and interpret associated trace fossils.
