RECONSTRUCTING COMMUNITY-SCALE EDIACARAN PALEOECOLOGY USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS

The latest Neoproterozoic Ediacara biota (571-541 Ma) is an enigmatic group of soft-bodied fossils that represents the first radiation of complex life; however, the paleobiology and -ecology of many of these organisms are still poorly understood as a result of their bizarre body plans. Recently, several studies have focused on the sedimentology, morphology, and numerical modeling of Ernietta plateauensis to better this taxon that persists right up until the end-Ediacaran extinction. We use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to constrain Ernietta paleoecology by constructing the first Ediacaran population model that is directly informed by in situ spatial arrangements of an Ediacaran "snapshot in time" ecosystem. Our results support previous interpretations of gregarious life habit and shine new light onto inter-individual group dynamics.