Pyritization in the Gaojiashan Biota

The Late Sinian (Ediacaran) Gaojiashan Biota was a soft-bodied fossil-Lagerstatte dominated by substantial pyritized, three-dimensionally preserved tubular and conotubular fossils. Soft-tissue pyritization is extremely scarce in the fossil records, especially in the Precambrian, therefore it has very important and unique significance for the study of pyritization in the Gaojiashan Biota. Early pyritization played a pivotal role in the fossil preservation and two main factors ensured the successful pyritization of the fossils, namely rapid burial and permineralization. The former was controlled by secular storm deposition, and the latter was achieved by sufficient supply of available iron from sediments. SEM data of Conotubus demonstrate two types of preservation of the tubes (defined as type A and type B, respectively). In type A, pyritization took place relatively earlier and completely preserved both tube wall and coelom, but no detailed structure. While in type B, pyritization took place somewhat later and preserved the integrated tube wall, but partially the coelom. The size frequency distribution of the pyrite framboids suggests that pyritization took place in two different environments with entire different oxygen content.