<p>The only direct evidence of past life is provided by fossils. Fossils tell us about the evolution of life on Earth and they give us clues concerning ancient environments. The Ediacaran Period (roughly 635-542 million years ago) is characterised by the appearance and diversification of various microbiota and also the diversification of metazoans. Well-preserved organic-walled microfossils referred to as acritarchs occur abundantly in Ediacaran sedimentary successions in the Officer Basin in South Australia. Acritarch assemblages from the Giles 1 and Murnaroo 1 drillcores show a wide morphological disparity and are taxonomically diverse. Assemblages change over short stratigraphic intervals which enables the recognition of different biozones. The presence of taxa common between Australia, Siberia, Baltica and China provides a means for global correlation of the Ediacaran System. Examination of the wall ultrastructure of several acritarch specimens by use of transmission electron microscopy reveals a complexity in the cell wall that is not seen in prokaryotes but is indicative in some cases of particular clades of microalgae. Wall ultrastructures range from single-layered to three- and four-layered and from homogeneous to porous. The wall ultrastructure can be used to assess biological affinities and the affinities of the studied taxa in relation to green algae, dinoflagellates and metazoans are discussed. However, before taxonomic interpretations can be made with confidence, an understanding of taphonomic degradation of microorganisms is required. With focus on illustrated specimens, one part of this thesis explains what happens to an acritarch as it undergoes various types of degradation and why an understanding of these processes is important for taxonomic identification. A meteorite impact in South Australia spread an ejecta layer over a 550 km radius area. This ejecta layer is recognised in subsurface drillcores and provides an independent stratigraphic marker horizon that supports an acritarch-based correlation.</p>

The Ediacaran Period, stretching from 635–542 million years ago, is one of the most dynamic intervals in the history of life. It witnessed the rapid transition from a microbially-dominated world, which had existed undisturbed for almost three billion years, to a Phanerozoic biosphere that is greatly modified by the interactions between macro-organisms and Earth surface systems. Ediacaran successions worldwide contain enigmatic assemblages of fossilised soft-bodied organisms. Determining the biological affinities of these fossils represents one of the major challenges in modern palaeontology. This thesis addresses some of the fundamental questions surrounding the Ediacara biota of the Avalon region from taphonomic, ontogenetic and palaeoenvironmental perspectives. Up-to-date stratigraphic ranges are produced for Avalonian macro-organisms, documenting spatial and temporal trends in their occurrence. New fossil assemblages are described, which include populations of juvenile rangeomorphs, and one of the earliest examples of community succession in the fossil record. The previously unexplained fossil Ivesheadia Boynton and Ford 1996 is re-described as a taphomorph, preserving the remains of Ediacaran macro-organisms that had died and undergone microbial decay on the seafloor prior to burial. This hypothesis implies considerable time-averaging of Avalonian palaeocommunities, and consequently suggests that the preserved fossil assemblages do not represent census populations of living organisms at the time of burial. Microbial decay is experimentally demonstrated to replicate aspects of Ivesheadia-type morphology, supporting the arguments presented herein for the preservation of microbially-induced taphomorphs during the Ediacaran. Finally, the discovery of the oldest evidence for metazoan locomotion, from 565Ma horizons at Mistaken Point in Newfoundland, suggests that motile macro-organisms were present amongst the Ediacara biota, ~20Myrs before the Cambrian boundary. This portrayal of Ediacaran palaeobiology views the deep-marine Avalonian ecosystems as diverse assemblages of both macro- and micro-organisms. Such palaeoenvironments preserve rare evidence of organisms capable of locomotion, and are likely to have included metazoans.

Cloudina foi o primeiro fóssil de um organismo biomineralizado encontrado no final do Ediacarano. Também figuram nesse período Corumbella, Namacalathus, Sinotubulites e Namapoikia entre a biota esquelética. No Grupo Corumbá (MS), em carbonatos e pelitos da Formação Tamengo, ocorrem os fósseis de Cloudina e Corumbella, respectivamente. Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar questões paleobiológicas referentes ao fóssil esquelético Cloudina, como seu contexto tafonômico, taxonômico e paleoecológico. Análises geoquímicas e de microestrutura foram realizadas para permitir melhor compreensão da esqueletogênese desse fóssil. Para tanto, foram utilizadas técnicas paleométricas, como: Espectroscopia Raman, Energia Dispersiva de Raios-x (EDS), Fluorescência de Raios-x por Energia Dispersiva (EDXRF) e Fluorescência de Raios-x Sincrotron (XRF-SRS) - para as análises de composição química e mineralógica; e Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) e Microtomografia Computadorizada (MicroCT) - para imageamento de microestruturas e feições morfológicas não visíveis na superfície, respectivamente. As análises tafonômicas de orientação revelaram padrões NNE-SSW e NE-SW, assim como WNW-ESSE, sugerindo correntes que variaram desde quase paralelas, até, possivelmente, perpendiculares com relação à linha de costa. As alterações tafonômicas encontradas incluem fragmentação das porções externas da concha, deformação plástica, neomorfismo, dissolução da parede e presença de calcita eodiagenética entre as abas dos funis. Esse contexto tafonômico indica uma deposição por retrabalhamento dos bioclastos e sugere que informações morfológicas, como diâmetro, são alteradas tafonomicamente. A análise biométrica das amostras alóctones indicou bimodalidades para populações estatísticas de Cloudina considerando 1, 2, 3 ou 4 camadas em corte transversal, e conjuntamente com a distribuição de tamanho normal para uma assembleia autóctone sugere uma mistura de populações originais de tamanhos diferentes. Esses resultados trazem implicações para a taxonomia de Cloudina para esses depósitos, definindo C. lucianoi como tafotáxon. A análise da amostra autóctone demonstra a ocorrência de Cloudina com biolaminitos e microfósseis e fortalecem a interpretação de que esse metazoário vivia em habitats associados com microbialitos. A presença de goethita e calcita eodiagenética entre as abas de Cloudina, assim como microesferas silicificadas sugerem a presença de uma matéria orgânica nessas porções externas do organismo que podem estar relacionadas com o desenvolvimento de possíveis biofilmes simbiontes. A posição de vida horizontal verificada para Cloudina na amostra autóctone indica a versatilidade de modo de vida dessa organismo quando comparada a ocorrências de espécimes verticais em outras localidades. Nessa mesma amostra, indivíduos com mudanças na direção de crescimento podem ser resultantes da proximidade com outros espécimes, o que sugere capacidade sensoriais que auxiliariam na ocupação do substrato. Os resultados de MEV demonstraram que geralmente a microestrutura não está preservada, mas em alguns casos pode-se notar microgrânulos de calcita e um padrão reticulado. Conjuntamente com MEV, em análises petrográficas foram observadas duas camadas formando a parede de Cloudina. As análises geoquímicas de EDS e Raman demonstraram a presença de carbono na concha e corroboram trabalhos anteriores que postularam uma concha rica em matéria orgânica. As quantidades de Mg% e MgO% verificadas por EDS caracterizaram os fósseis da Formação Tamengo como de baixo teor de magnésio e fitting de bandas de calcita em espectros Raman fortalecem essa interpretação. Mesmo assim, alterações diagenéticas de estabilização por perda de Mg podem ter ocorrido. Os resultados de XRF-SRS mostraram que não há variação de Sr maior que 1000 ppm entre o fóssil e a rocha, indicando que, pelo menos, a mineralogia da concha não era aragonítica. Sendo assim, o presente trabalho traz novos cenários para a paleobiologia de Cloudina da Fm. Tamengo: Cloudina lucianoi é considerado como tafotáxon pelo contexto tafonômico e análise biométrica, indica ambientes de vida associados com microbialitos e possíveis cianobactérias, relações simbióticas podem ter ocorrido entre esse metazoário e biofilmes, é inferido modo de vida horizontal a sub-horizontal, é sugerido comportamentos de competição por espaço, a esqueletogênese de Cloudina é caracterizada por funis compostos por uma parede com duas camadas, rica em matéria orgânica e com microgrânulos de calcita. / Cloudina was the first fossil of a biomineralized organism found in latest Ediacaran. Also in this period, there was Corumbella, Namacalathus, Sinotubulites and Namapoikia within the skeletal biota. In the Corumbá Group (MS), in carbonates and pelites of Tamengo Formation, occur the fossils of Cloudina and Corumbella, respectively. This work aims to analyze paleobiological questions regarding Cloudina, such as its taphonomical, taxonomical and paleoecological context. Geochemical and microstructural analyses were performed to better understand the skeletogenesis of this fossil. For this, were utilized paleometrical techniques, such: Raman Spectroscopy, Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Fluorescence Synchrotron based (XRF-SRS) - for chemical and mineralogical analyses; and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Computerized Microtomography (MicroCT) - for imaging of non-visible surficial microstructures and morphological attributes. The taphonomical analyses of orientation revealed NNE-SSW and NE-SW, as well as WNW-ESSE patterns, indicating currents that varied from almost parallel, to, possibly, perpendicular with relation to the ancient coastline. The taphonomical alterations include fragmentation of the external portions of the flares, plastic deformation, neomorphism, dissolution of the wall and the presence of eodiagenetic calcite between the flares of the funnels. This taphonomical context suggests a deposition by reworking and indicates that morphological information, such as diameter, is taphonomical altered. The biometrical analysis for the allochthonous specimens indicated bimodality for the statistical populations of Cloudina considering one, two, three or four layers in cross section, and together with the normal size distribution for the autochthonous assemblage suggest a mixture of original populations of different sizes. These results bring implications to the taxonomy of Cloudina, defining C. lucianoi as a taphotaxon. The study of the autochthonous assemblage demonstrated the occurrence of Cloudina with biolaminites and microfossils, and strengthens the interpretation that this metazoan lived in habitats associated with microbialites. The presence of goethite and eodiagenetic calcite between the flares of Cloudina, as well as silicified microspheres suggest the presence of organic matter in these external portions of the organism that can be related to de development of possibly symbiotic biofilms. The horizontal life position verified for Cloudina in the autochthonous assemblage together with occurrences in other localities of vertical specimens indicates the versatility of the life modes of this organism. Also in this sample, individuals with changes in the growing direction could be resultant of the proximity with other specimens, suggesting sensorial capacities, which assisted in the occupation of the substrate. SEM results demonstrated that often the microstructure is not preserved, but in some cases can be noted microgranules of calcite and a reticulate pattern. Allied with SEM, in petrographic sections were observed two layers forming the wall of Cloudina. EDS and Raman analysis showed the presence of carbon in the carapace and corroborate previous studies that postulated a shell with high amount of organic matter. Quantities of Mg% and MgO% verified by EDS characterized the fossils as low-magnesian calcites and fitting of calcite bands from Raman spectra strengthen this interpretation. Nevertheless, diagenetical alterations of stabilization by loss of Mg could have occurred. The results from XRF-SRS showed that there is no great variation in the Sr content between the fossil and the rock matrix, indicating that the mineralogy was not aragonitic. Thus, this work brings new scenarios for the paleobiology of Cloudina from the Tamengo Fm: Cloudina lucianoi is considered as a taphotaxon by the taphonomical and biometrical results, indicates habitats associated with microbialites and possible cyanobacteria, symbiotic relations could have occurred between this metazoan and biofilms, is inferred a horizontal to sub-horizontal life position and behaviors for space competition, the skeletogenesis of Cloudina is characterized by funnels composed of a wall with two layers, rich in organic matter and with microgranules of calcite.

A região do Cerro Chato, extremo sul do Rio Grande do Sul, é caracterizada por associações de rochas vulcânicas e subvulcânicas de composição ácida, cujo magmatismo tem sido relacionado às suítes graníticas tardias do Batólito Pelotas no Cinturão Dom Feliciano. Os vulcanitos da região agrupam-se em duas feições geomorfologicamente distintas e afetadas por falhas NW e NE: Cerro Chato e Cerro Partido. O Cerro Chato é caracterizado por depósitos piroclásticos e efusivos. Os primeiros são representados por ignimbritos que ocorrem em duas fácies principais: ignimbritos ricos em líticos e ignimbritos ricos em cristais, mal selecionados e constituídos por piroclastos tamanho lápili e uma matriz tufácea. A fácies rica em litoclastos é caracterizada por apresentar fragmentos conatos de riolitos e ignimbritos e, subordinadamente, acidentais. Fragmentos de cristais de K-feldspato e quartzo são comuns e a estrutura eutaxítica é incipiente. A fácies rica em cristais caracteriza-se pela abundância de cristaloclastos e fenocristais de feldspatos e quartzo. Apresentam estrutura eutaxítica e matriz constituída por vitroclastos tamanho cinza. Derrames riolíticos hemicristalinos representam os eventos efusivos, com textura porfirítica, estruturas de fluxo e esferulitos. O Cerro Partido é caracterizado por um corpo subvulcânico, alongado na direção NE-SW, com 8 km de comprimento por 0,7 km de largura aproximadamente. Constitui rochas com textura porfirítica, com fenocristais de quartzo e feldspatos, imersos em uma matriz equigranular fina. Geoquimicamente, são riolitos do tipo alta-sílica, correlacionáveis à série alcalina, próximo ao limite das séries subalcalinas, com um caráter metaluminoso/peraluminoso e teores elevados de álcalis, FeOt/FeOt+MgO e índice agpaítico. Os riolitos do Cerro Partido foram classificados como alto-Ti com elevados teores de CaO, P2O5, FeOt, MgO e K2O se comparados aos riolitos do Cerro Chato, baixo-Ti. O padrão mostrado pelos ETR é definido pelo leve enriquecimento de ETRL em relação à ETRP e uma forte anomalia negativa de Eu, típica de sistemas alcalinos metaluminosos e altamente diferenciados. As características químicas são semelhantes com as de magmatismo granítico do tipo A, relacionado a ambientes pós-colisionais. Dados litoquímicos indicam uma vinculação genética com rochas graníticas mais diferenciadas da Suíte Dom Feliciano, bem como os riolitos do Cerro Ana Dias, associadas ao magmatismo Neoproterozoico pós-colisional do Escudo Sul-Rio-Grandense. Dados geocronológicos U-Pb obtidos em zircões indicam uma idade de 561 ± 2 Ma para os riolitos do Cerro Partido, sugerindo uma contemporaneidade com os granitoides associados a suíte Dom Feliciano. Já os dados U-PB em zircão dos riolitos do Cerro Chato indicam uma idade de 630.4 ± 2.8 Ma. Estas idades são concordantes com as obtidas em clastos vulcânicos na base da formação Maricá, podendo assim haver uma possível relação entre os vulcanitos do Cerro Chato com o vulcanismo sin-sedimentar inicial da Bacia do Camaquã. / The Cerro Chato region is located in the southern portion of Rio Grande do Sul and is characterized by associations of acid volcanic and subvolcanic rocks, whose magmatism has been related to the later Pelotas Batholith suites from the Dom Feliciano Belt. The vulcanites of the region are affected by NW and NE faults and are grouped into two geomorphologically distinct features: Cerro Chato and Cerro Partido. Cerro Chato is represented by ignimbrites that occur in two main facies: lithic rich ignimbrites and crystal rich ignimbrites. They are poorly selected and consist of lapilli-sized pyroclasts in a tuffaceous matrix. The lithoclasts rich facies is characterized by cognate fragments of rhyolites and ignimbrites and, occasionally, accidental fragments. The crystal-rich ignimbrites are characterized by the abundance of crystal fragments and phenocrysts of K-feldspar and quartz. Both facies present eutaxitic structure and a matrix made up of ash-sized vitroclasts. Hemi-crystalline rhyolitic flows represent effusive events, with porphyritic texture, flow structures and spherulites. Cerro Partido is characterized by a subvolcanic body, elongated in the NE-SW direction, of approximately 8 km long by 0.7 km wide.. It consists of rocks with porphyritic/glomeroporphyritic texture, composed of quartz, K-feldspar and plagioclase phenocrysts, within a fine quartz-feldspathic equigranular matrix. Through geochemical data the rhyolitic volcanites were characterized as high-silica type rhyolites, correlated to the alkaline series, but close to the limit of the sub-alkaline series; they present metaluminous to peraluminous character and high contents of alkalis, FeOt / FeOt + MgO and agpaitic index. The Cerro Partido rhyolites were classified as high-Ti with higher CaO, P2O5, FeOt, MgO and K2O contents than the Cerro Chato low-Ti rhyolites. The rhyolites REE pattern is slightly enriched in LREE in relation to the HREE and has a strong negative Eu anomaly, typical of metaluminous and highly differentiated alkali systems. The chemical characteristics are similar to those of A type granitic magmatism, related to post-collisional environments. U-Pb geochronological dating indicates an age of 561 ± 2 Ma for the rhyolites of Cerro Partido, suggesting contemporaneity with the granitoids associated to the Dom Feliciano suite. The zircon U-Pb isotopes dating of the Cerro Chato rhyolites indicates an age of 630.4 ± 2.8 Ma. These ages are in agreement with those obtained in the volcanic clasts at the base of the Maricá formation, which may indicate a possible relationship between the volcanites of the Cerro Chato with the initial sin-sedimentary volcanism of the Camaquã Basin.

Numerous detailed geochemical studies of Ediacaran (~635 - 541 Ma) marine successions provide snapshots into the palaeoenvironmental redox conditions which accompanied examples of the earliest metazoans in the fossil record. Spatial heterogeneity with respect to palaeomarine redox is evident from reconstructions of geographically-widespread Ediacaran environments. This project provides new data of local-scale redox within a paleogeographic and sequence stratigraphic framework in order to explore the mechanisms which controlled water column redox variations and the potential impact on early macro-benthic ecosystems. Lower than present atmospheric and oceanic oxygen concentrations enabled some shallow marine settings to remain poised at iron reduction until well into the Cambrian and likely influenced regional-scale ecosystem structure and stability. Many basins had a shallow and highly dynamic chemocline above anoxic (ferruginous or euxinic) or low oxygen (manganous) waters. Regional differences in palaeoredox were likely controlled primarily by local detrital nutrient provision and organic matter remineralisation and the redox state of the global deep ocean was most likely similarly heterogeneous (but this remains uncertain). It is suggested that cratonic positioning and migration throughout the Ediacaran Period, in combination with gradually increasing dissolved oxygen loading, may have provided a long-term control on redox evolution through regulating circulation mechanisms in the Mirovian Ocean. Some unrestricted lower slope environments from mid-high latitudes benefited from sustained oxygenation via downwelling, whilst cratonic isolation or transit towards more equatorial positions stifled pervasive ventilation either through ineffective surface ocean mixing, Ekman-induced upwelling, elevated surface ocean productivity, or a combination of these processes. Co-preservation of largely-enigmatic fossil forms within sedimentary rocks of the late Ediacaran Nama Group of southern Namibia have allowed the four-dimensional reconstruction of local redox dynamics and associated biotic establishment. This has been made possible through collation of previously published fossil occurrence and geochemical information alongside new palaeoredox and palaeoproductivity estimates based on iron speciation, major element and carbonate-bound iodine data. This is further supplemented by the first detailed assessment of the paragenetic sequence and diagenetic relationships of carbonates which precipitated within the earliest metazoan reef framework. Skeletal invertebrate taxa in the Zaris Sub-Basin of the lower Nama Group (~550-547 Ma), grew above wave base where micritic carbonate sediment often shows evidence for early dolomitisation. Mid-ramp Cloudina reefs composed of open, highly porous structures formed multiple, successive assemblages. Thin layers of dolomitised sediment and dolomite cement terminate each assemblage. Reef cements show a paragenetic sequence from synsedimentary, early marine cement through to final burial, each of which were precipitated under dynamic redox conditions. These cements likely record a general shallow to deeper water transect, from oxic shallow waters to low oxygen manganous waters and finally to oxic, shallow burial conditions. Transient incursions of upwelled, anoxic, ferruginous and dolomitising waters may have occurred during short-term, transgressive cycles, although the timing for this is poorly constrained. Such incursions may have terminated Ediacaran benthic communities that grew close to the chemocline. Viewed in its entirety, the palaeoredox record of the Nama Group reveals evidence for a pronounced shift in the depth of the ferruginous redoxcline from shallow to deeper levels in the water column through time, which was accompanied by a reduced frequency of anoxic incursions onto the shallow shelf. This transition approximately coincided with the first appearance and subsequent diversification of novel sediment bioturbators in the Lower Urusis Formation (~547-542 Ma). It is proposed that the observed coevolution of palaeoredox and ichnofossil diversity may directly relate to the impact of bioturbation on phosphorus retention. In this way, the diversification of burrowing forms effectively oxygenated the sediment column, prevented efficient P recycling to the water column and limited the detrimental impact of productivity-induced anoxia in the local environment. However, this hypothesis remains to be tested and would benefit from a focused study of palaeoproductivity employing targeted analyses of total organic carbon and sedimentary phosphorus speciation. It is further proposed that the persistent spatial separation of anoxic deep waters from habitable ecospace, implied by the fossil distribution of phylogenetically-enigmatic soft-bodied forms, qualitatively supports the inference that at least intermittently oxic conditions (at or above EH typical of ferrous iron oxidation) were a metabolic requirement of these organisms. Finally, four new sections of the late Ediacaran, deposited approximately time-equivalent to aforementioned sediments of the Nama Group, are described and preliminary geochemical data reported. These include two shallow marine carbonate-dominated sections of the southeast Siberian Craton which correspond to the Yudoma Formation and two sections of the Dengying and lower Zhujiaqing (and correlative) Formations deposited on the Yangtze Block, South China. Integrated proxy methods are able to distinguish palaeoredox heterogeneity between and within early animal ecosystems and test the influence of anoxia on ecosystem structure. The first and last appearances of Treptichnus pedum and Cloudina respectively, which globally bracket the boundary between the Ediacaran and Cambrian Periods, show no identifiable range overlap in any sections analysed in this study. This suggests that the first appearance of the organism responsible for characteristic T. pedum may have lived approximately contemporaneous in oxic habitable refuges of all regions in this study, regardless of the dominance of reducing conditions that persisted in coeval deeper environments in many areas.

The Ediacaran in Uruguay preserves a unique record of deposits generated during the assembly of the palaeocontinent Gondwana and concurrent with major changes in the atmosphere and oceans, and the rise of animal life. Recent studies have suggested that the deep oceans remained anoxic and highly ferruginous throughout the Ediacaran and possibly into the Cambrian. Unfortunately, acceptance of this idea has been hindered by the virtual absence of iron formations (IF). Detailed studies of Ediacaran IF in Uruguay confirm that ferruginous conditions dominated the pre-Gaskiers (~580 Ma), and interestingly, they also extended well into the upper Ediacaran before complete ocean ventilation occurred. Significantly, a simple twolayer stratified system that argues for an oxygenated surface layer overlying a suboxic zone is proposed. The association of negative 13C excursions in Neoproterozoic carbonates and large-scale glaciations has become a tempting explanation for the short-term perturbation of the global carbon cycle. Not surprisingly, negative 13C shifts in Ediacaran-aged carbonates from Uruguay have been interpreted as recording post-Gaskiers glacial events. New highresolution 13C-chemostratigraphy of carbonates shows negative fractionations in deep facies with a progressive rise towards shallow-water settings, and suggests a deposition across a stratified ocean. Furthermore, 87Sr/86Sr chemostratigraphy coupled with radiometric data allowed a more precise chronostratigraphy, which supports an age of ~600-575 Ma for the unit, and suggests a deposition concurrent with the Gaskiers glaciation. Notwithstanding whether associated 13C variations in shallow water facies were produced by glacially-related conditions or by the dynamic of the basin itself remains unresolved. Although these conclusions are particularly valid for these deposits, they carry important implications for the understanding of other negative 13C excursions recorded in the Precambrian. Finally, bilaterian burrows occur in Gaskiers age glaciomarine rocks in Uruguay implying that these are the oldest definite animal tracks yet reported. Crucially, our new discovery unites the palaeontological and molecular data pertaining to the origin of bilaterians, and brings the origin of animals firmly into the interval of the Neoproterozoic glaciations. It also implies that ancestral bilaterians likely evolved first in relatively shallow seas, and only colonized the deep-sea floor once sufficient bottom water oxygenation had taken place.

No description available.

The only direct evidence of past life is provided by fossils. Fossils tell us about the evolution of life on Earth and they give us clues concerning ancient environments. The Ediacaran Period (roughly 635-542 million years ago) is characterised by the appearance and diversification of various microbiota and also the diversification of metazoans. Well-preserved organic-walled microfossils referred to as acritarchs occur abundantly in Ediacaran sedimentary successions in the Officer Basin in South Australia. Acritarch assemblages from the Giles 1 and Murnaroo 1 drillcores show a wide morphological disparity and are taxonomically diverse. Assemblages change over short stratigraphic intervals which enables the recognition of different biozones. The presence of taxa common between Australia, Siberia, Baltica and China provides a means for global correlation of the Ediacaran System. Examination of the wall ultrastructure of several acritarch specimens by use of transmission electron microscopy reveals a complexity in the cell wall that is not seen in prokaryotes but is indicative in some cases of particular clades of microalgae. Wall ultrastructures range from single-layered to three- and four-layered and from homogeneous to porous. The wall ultrastructure can be used to assess biological affinities and the affinities of the studied taxa in relation to green algae, dinoflagellates and metazoans are discussed. However, before taxonomic interpretations can be made with confidence, an understanding of taphonomic degradation of microorganisms is required. With focus on illustrated specimens, one part of this thesis explains what happens to an acritarch as it undergoes various types of degradation and why an understanding of these processes is important for taxonomic identification. A meteorite impact in South Australia spread an ejecta layer over a 550 km radius area. This ejecta layer is recognised in subsurface drillcores and provides an independent stratigraphic marker horizon that supports an acritarch-based correlation.

A região do Cerro Chato, extremo sul do Rio Grande do Sul, é caracterizada por associações de rochas vulcânicas e subvulcânicas de composição ácida, cujo magmatismo tem sido relacionado às suítes graníticas tardias do Batólito Pelotas no Cinturão Dom Feliciano. Os vulcanitos da região agrupam-se em duas feições geomorfologicamente distintas e afetadas por falhas NW e NE: Cerro Chato e Cerro Partido. O Cerro Chato é caracterizado por depósitos piroclásticos e efusivos. Os primeiros são representados por ignimbritos que ocorrem em duas fácies principais: ignimbritos ricos em líticos e ignimbritos ricos em cristais, mal selecionados e constituídos por piroclastos tamanho lápili e uma matriz tufácea. A fácies rica em litoclastos é caracterizada por apresentar fragmentos conatos de riolitos e ignimbritos e, subordinadamente, acidentais. Fragmentos de cristais de K-feldspato e quartzo são comuns e a estrutura eutaxítica é incipiente. A fácies rica em cristais caracteriza-se pela abundância de cristaloclastos e fenocristais de feldspatos e quartzo. Apresentam estrutura eutaxítica e matriz constituída por vitroclastos tamanho cinza. Derrames riolíticos hemicristalinos representam os eventos efusivos, com textura porfirítica, estruturas de fluxo e esferulitos. O Cerro Partido é caracterizado por um corpo subvulcânico, alongado na direção NE-SW, com 8 km de comprimento por 0,7 km de largura aproximadamente. Constitui rochas com textura porfirítica, com fenocristais de quartzo e feldspatos, imersos em uma matriz equigranular fina. Geoquimicamente, são riolitos do tipo alta-sílica, correlacionáveis à série alcalina, próximo ao limite das séries subalcalinas, com um caráter metaluminoso/peraluminoso e teores elevados de álcalis, FeOt/FeOt+MgO e índice agpaítico. Os riolitos do Cerro Partido foram classificados como alto-Ti com elevados teores de CaO, P2O5, FeOt, MgO e K2O se comparados aos riolitos do Cerro Chato, baixo-Ti. O padrão mostrado pelos ETR é definido pelo leve enriquecimento de ETRL em relação à ETRP e uma forte anomalia negativa de Eu, típica de sistemas alcalinos metaluminosos e altamente diferenciados. As características químicas são semelhantes com as de magmatismo granítico do tipo A, relacionado a ambientes pós-colisionais. Dados litoquímicos indicam uma vinculação genética com rochas graníticas mais diferenciadas da Suíte Dom Feliciano, bem como os riolitos do Cerro Ana Dias, associadas ao magmatismo Neoproterozoico pós-colisional do Escudo Sul-Rio-Grandense. Dados geocronológicos U-Pb obtidos em zircões indicam uma idade de 561 ± 2 Ma para os riolitos do Cerro Partido, sugerindo uma contemporaneidade com os granitoides associados a suíte Dom Feliciano. Já os dados U-PB em zircão dos riolitos do Cerro Chato indicam uma idade de 630.4 ± 2.8 Ma. Estas idades são concordantes com as obtidas em clastos vulcânicos na base da formação Maricá, podendo assim haver uma possível relação entre os vulcanitos do Cerro Chato com o vulcanismo sin-sedimentar inicial da Bacia do Camaquã. / The Cerro Chato region is located in the southern portion of Rio Grande do Sul and is characterized by associations of acid volcanic and subvolcanic rocks, whose magmatism has been related to the later Pelotas Batholith suites from the Dom Feliciano Belt. The vulcanites of the region are affected by NW and NE faults and are grouped into two geomorphologically distinct features: Cerro Chato and Cerro Partido. Cerro Chato is represented by ignimbrites that occur in two main facies: lithic rich ignimbrites and crystal rich ignimbrites. They are poorly selected and consist of lapilli-sized pyroclasts in a tuffaceous matrix. The lithoclasts rich facies is characterized by cognate fragments of rhyolites and ignimbrites and, occasionally, accidental fragments. The crystal-rich ignimbrites are characterized by the abundance of crystal fragments and phenocrysts of K-feldspar and quartz. Both facies present eutaxitic structure and a matrix made up of ash-sized vitroclasts. Hemi-crystalline rhyolitic flows represent effusive events, with porphyritic texture, flow structures and spherulites. Cerro Partido is characterized by a subvolcanic body, elongated in the NE-SW direction, of approximately 8 km long by 0.7 km wide.. It consists of rocks with porphyritic/glomeroporphyritic texture, composed of quartz, K-feldspar and plagioclase phenocrysts, within a fine quartz-feldspathic equigranular matrix. Through geochemical data the rhyolitic volcanites were characterized as high-silica type rhyolites, correlated to the alkaline series, but close to the limit of the sub-alkaline series; they present metaluminous to peraluminous character and high contents of alkalis, FeOt / FeOt + MgO and agpaitic index. The Cerro Partido rhyolites were classified as high-Ti with higher CaO, P2O5, FeOt, MgO and K2O contents than the Cerro Chato low-Ti rhyolites. The rhyolites REE pattern is slightly enriched in LREE in relation to the HREE and has a strong negative Eu anomaly, typical of metaluminous and highly differentiated alkali systems. The chemical characteristics are similar to those of A type granitic magmatism, related to post-collisional environments. U-Pb geochronological dating indicates an age of 561 ± 2 Ma for the rhyolites of Cerro Partido, suggesting contemporaneity with the granitoids associated to the Dom Feliciano suite. The zircon U-Pb isotopes dating of the Cerro Chato rhyolites indicates an age of 630.4 ± 2.8 Ma. These ages are in agreement with those obtained in the volcanic clasts at the base of the Maricá formation, which may indicate a possible relationship between the volcanites of the Cerro Chato with the initial sin-sedimentary volcanism of the Camaquã Basin.

A região do Cerro Chato, extremo sul do Rio Grande do Sul, é caracterizada por associações de rochas vulcânicas e subvulcânicas de composição ácida, cujo magmatismo tem sido relacionado às suítes graníticas tardias do Batólito Pelotas no Cinturão Dom Feliciano. Os vulcanitos da região agrupam-se em duas feições geomorfologicamente distintas e afetadas por falhas NW e NE: Cerro Chato e Cerro Partido. O Cerro Chato é caracterizado por depósitos piroclásticos e efusivos. Os primeiros são representados por ignimbritos que ocorrem em duas fácies principais: ignimbritos ricos em líticos e ignimbritos ricos em cristais, mal selecionados e constituídos por piroclastos tamanho lápili e uma matriz tufácea. A fácies rica em litoclastos é caracterizada por apresentar fragmentos conatos de riolitos e ignimbritos e, subordinadamente, acidentais. Fragmentos de cristais de K-feldspato e quartzo são comuns e a estrutura eutaxítica é incipiente. A fácies rica em cristais caracteriza-se pela abundância de cristaloclastos e fenocristais de feldspatos e quartzo. Apresentam estrutura eutaxítica e matriz constituída por vitroclastos tamanho cinza. Derrames riolíticos hemicristalinos representam os eventos efusivos, com textura porfirítica, estruturas de fluxo e esferulitos. O Cerro Partido é caracterizado por um corpo subvulcânico, alongado na direção NE-SW, com 8 km de comprimento por 0,7 km de largura aproximadamente. Constitui rochas com textura porfirítica, com fenocristais de quartzo e feldspatos, imersos em uma matriz equigranular fina. Geoquimicamente, são riolitos do tipo alta-sílica, correlacionáveis à série alcalina, próximo ao limite das séries subalcalinas, com um caráter metaluminoso/peraluminoso e teores elevados de álcalis, FeOt/FeOt+MgO e índice agpaítico. Os riolitos do Cerro Partido foram classificados como alto-Ti com elevados teores de CaO, P2O5, FeOt, MgO e K2O se comparados aos riolitos do Cerro Chato, baixo-Ti. O padrão mostrado pelos ETR é definido pelo leve enriquecimento de ETRL em relação à ETRP e uma forte anomalia negativa de Eu, típica de sistemas alcalinos metaluminosos e altamente diferenciados. As características químicas são semelhantes com as de magmatismo granítico do tipo A, relacionado a ambientes pós-colisionais. Dados litoquímicos indicam uma vinculação genética com rochas graníticas mais diferenciadas da Suíte Dom Feliciano, bem como os riolitos do Cerro Ana Dias, associadas ao magmatismo Neoproterozoico pós-colisional do Escudo Sul-Rio-Grandense. Dados geocronológicos U-Pb obtidos em zircões indicam uma idade de 561 ± 2 Ma para os riolitos do Cerro Partido, sugerindo uma contemporaneidade com os granitoides associados a suíte Dom Feliciano. Já os dados U-PB em zircão dos riolitos do Cerro Chato indicam uma idade de 630.4 ± 2.8 Ma. Estas idades são concordantes com as obtidas em clastos vulcânicos na base da formação Maricá, podendo assim haver uma possível relação entre os vulcanitos do Cerro Chato com o vulcanismo sin-sedimentar inicial da Bacia do Camaquã. / The Cerro Chato region is located in the southern portion of Rio Grande do Sul and is characterized by associations of acid volcanic and subvolcanic rocks, whose magmatism has been related to the later Pelotas Batholith suites from the Dom Feliciano Belt. The vulcanites of the region are affected by NW and NE faults and are grouped into two geomorphologically distinct features: Cerro Chato and Cerro Partido. Cerro Chato is represented by ignimbrites that occur in two main facies: lithic rich ignimbrites and crystal rich ignimbrites. They are poorly selected and consist of lapilli-sized pyroclasts in a tuffaceous matrix. The lithoclasts rich facies is characterized by cognate fragments of rhyolites and ignimbrites and, occasionally, accidental fragments. The crystal-rich ignimbrites are characterized by the abundance of crystal fragments and phenocrysts of K-feldspar and quartz. Both facies present eutaxitic structure and a matrix made up of ash-sized vitroclasts. Hemi-crystalline rhyolitic flows represent effusive events, with porphyritic texture, flow structures and spherulites. Cerro Partido is characterized by a subvolcanic body, elongated in the NE-SW direction, of approximately 8 km long by 0.7 km wide.. It consists of rocks with porphyritic/glomeroporphyritic texture, composed of quartz, K-feldspar and plagioclase phenocrysts, within a fine quartz-feldspathic equigranular matrix. Through geochemical data the rhyolitic volcanites were characterized as high-silica type rhyolites, correlated to the alkaline series, but close to the limit of the sub-alkaline series; they present metaluminous to peraluminous character and high contents of alkalis, FeOt / FeOt + MgO and agpaitic index. The Cerro Partido rhyolites were classified as high-Ti with higher CaO, P2O5, FeOt, MgO and K2O contents than the Cerro Chato low-Ti rhyolites. The rhyolites REE pattern is slightly enriched in LREE in relation to the HREE and has a strong negative Eu anomaly, typical of metaluminous and highly differentiated alkali systems. The chemical characteristics are similar to those of A type granitic magmatism, related to post-collisional environments. U-Pb geochronological dating indicates an age of 561 ± 2 Ma for the rhyolites of Cerro Partido, suggesting contemporaneity with the granitoids associated to the Dom Feliciano suite. The zircon U-Pb isotopes dating of the Cerro Chato rhyolites indicates an age of 630.4 ± 2.8 Ma. These ages are in agreement with those obtained in the volcanic clasts at the base of the Maricá formation, which may indicate a possible relationship between the volcanites of the Cerro Chato with the initial sin-sedimentary volcanism of the Camaquã Basin.