Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communications Arising
  • Published:

Palaeontology

Undressing and redressing Ediacaran embryos

Abstract

Arising from: J. V. Bailey, S. B. Joye, K. M. Kalanetra, B. E. Flood & F. A. Corsetti Nature 445, 198–201 (2007)10.1038/nature05457; Bailey et al. reply

Bailey et al.1 propose that the Ediacaran microfossils Megasphaera and Parapandorina, previously interpreted as animal resting eggs and blastula embryos2, represent Thiomargarita-like sulphide-oxidizing bacteria, claiming that this interpretation better explains their abundance and taphonomy. Here we highlight important observations that significantly weaken the authors' conclusions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Doushantuo microfossils.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bailey, J. V., Joye, S. B., Kalanetra, K. M., Flood, B. E. & Corsetti, F. A. Nature 445, 198–201 (2007); published onlne 20 December 2006, doi:10.1038/nature05457.

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Xiao, S., Zhang, Y. & Knoll, A. H. Nature 391, 553–558 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Xiao, S. & Knoll, A. H. J. Paleontol. 74, 767–788 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Yuan, X. et al. Doushantuo Fossils: Life on the Eve of Animal Radiation (China Univ. of Science and Technology Press, Hefei, China, 2002).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chen, J.-Y. The Dawn of Animal World (Jiangsu Science and Technology, Nanjing, 2004).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Xiao, S., Hagadorn, J. W., Zhou, C. & Yuan, X. Geology 35, 115–118 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Yin, C., Bengtson, S. & Yue, Z. Acta Palaeontol. Polon. 49, 1–12 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hagadorn, J. W. et al. Science 314, 291–294 (2006).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Donoghue, P. C. J. Nature 445, 155–156 (2007).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Xiao, S. & Knoll, A. H. Lethaia 32, 219–240 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dornbos, S. Q. et al. Palaios 21, 3–14 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhang, Y., Yin, L., Xiao, S. & Knoll, A. H. Paleontol. Soc. Mem. 50, 1–52 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shuhai Xiao.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Xiao, S., Zhou, C. & Yuan, X. Undressing and redressing Ediacaran embryos. Nature 446, E9–E10 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05753

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05753

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing