A simulation experiment on phosphatized spherical microfossils

Abstract

The identification and characterization of the phosphate preservation of the spherical microfossils in the Ediacaran Doushantuo time and the Early Cambrian has long been controversial. Modern artificial simulation experiments of phosphate animal eggs can provide scientific evidence to settle the aforementioned disputes. This experiment simulated environmental changes to observe the early morphological changes of the Bluntnose black bream eggs (Megalobrama amblycephala). It was found that the eggs can show a different morphology in the phosphate environment and that these eggs exhibited considerable morphological variations under different conditions. Thus, those eggs cannot be ascribed to the same species based only on the features. The experimental results are expected to provide a useful reference for the identification of phosphatized microfossils and provide a more empirical basis for their genesis.