Research Article| November 01, 2008 Eight-armed Ediacara fossil preserved in contrasting taphonomic windows from China and Australia Maoyan Zhu; Maoyan Zhu 11LPS, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar James G. Gehling; James G. Gehling 22South Australia Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Shuhai Xiao; Shuhai Xiao 33Department of Geosciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Yuanlong Zhao; Yuanlong Zhao 44College of Resource and Environment Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550003, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Mary L. Droser Mary L. Droser 55Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2008) 36 (11): 867–870. https://doi.org/10.1130/G25203A.1 Article history received: 27 May 2008 rev-recd: 18 Jul 2008 accepted: 27 Jul 2008 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Maoyan Zhu, James G. Gehling, Shuhai Xiao, Yuanlong Zhao, Mary L. Droser; Eight-armed Ediacara fossil preserved in contrasting taphonomic windows from China and Australia. Geology 2008;; 36 (11): 867–870. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G25203A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract We report the preservation of the eight-armed Ediacara fossil Eoandromeda octobrachiata as carbonaceous compressions in the Doushantuo black shale of south China and as casts and molds in the Rawnsley Quartzite in South Australia. The contrasting preservational styles in two taphonomic windows indicate that E. octobrachiata may have had a relatively recalcitrant organic integument, which rules out its close comparison with giant agglutinated foraminifers such as xenophyophores. Its octaradial symmetry and dextrally spiraling arms suggest that it may be a diploblastic-grade animal sharing some features with cnidarians and ctenophores, although its phylogenetic affinity remains open. It is the first and only unambiguously identified Ediacaran macrofossil that occurs in two drastically different taphonomic windows, thus bridging the conventional biological and taxonomic gaps between the Ediacara and Miaohe biotas, which collectively record the earliest known macroscopic and complex life. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.