CHARACTERIZING KONSERVAT-LAGERSTÄTTEN

Konservat-Lagerstätten are deposits preserving exceptional fossils and are found throughout much of geologic time, from the 1.8 Ga Gunflint Chert in central North America to the Pleistocene Shiobara Group in Japan. These deposits provide critical information to help with the reconstruction of past ecosystems and environments.

In this study we aimed to characterize Konservat Lagerstätten in order to identify similarities and differences in these deposits as well as to look for changes in the types of Lagerstätten through geologic time. The parameters used to characterize these Lagerstätten include: geologic age and locality of the deposit, minerals preserving the different tissues, the sedimentology of the deposit, if soft tissues were preserved, they type of Lagerstätten (obrution/stagnation), evidence for microbes (biofilms or mats), and whether anoxia occurred. These data provide information about the taphonomy of the different Lagerstätten including the depositional environment, the conditions during early mineralization, and any diagenetic changes that occurred. This allows us to identify similarities and differences between these deposits and see if there are factors (geologic, environmental) responsible for the different types of preservation.

These data were collected largely through an extensive literature search. The parameters were then put into a spreadsheet and statistical analyses (frequency data and cluster analysis) were done using SPSS. So far we have identified over 160 Konservat Lagerstätten, about half of which have all the required characterization parameters. These deposits occur on every continent and range in age from the Proterozoic through the Cenozoic, preserving a diversity of flora and fauna.

Here we report preliminary analysis of these different Lagerstätten as well as discuss which data should be included in taphonomical reports in order to better classify Konservat-Lagerstätten though time.