Doushantuo type preservation

The preservational mode of the Doushantuo formation involves very early phosphatisation on a cellular level - with cells being replaced by phosphate before they degrade.[1]

Occurrence

The mode of preservation is typically found in shallow, high energy waters, as lenses of phosphate in carbonate rocks.[1] Its occurrence is assisted by high concentrations of phosphate, which are presumably led to precipitate around the degradation products of cells and cell walls.[1]

What is preserved

Cells are preserved at a cellular level, with arguments that sub-cellular structures may even represent cell nuclei.

Bias

Although the preservational window is open pretty continually from about 580 million years ago through most of the Cambrian, it tends to preserve microscopic things, such as embryos and bacteria.[1]

References
  1. Butterfield, Nicholas J. (2003). "Exceptional Fossil Preservation and the Cambrian Explosion". Integrative and Comparative Biology. 43 (1): 166–177. doi:10.1093/icb/43.1.166. PMID 21680421.


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