Revisiting the Neoproterozoic Cango Caves Group, South Africa

My PhD not only explores the oldest microfossils in the Paleoproterozoic, but also the diversity at much younger end-members of eukaryotic evolution, right on the precipice of the metazoan ignition. I am re-exploring fossils from the Neoproterozoic Cango Caves and Gamtoos Groups, 20 years on from Gaucher and Germs work, with the aim of characterising the microfossil diversity at high resolution, and ultimately resolving their age…

Stepping outside of microfossil work, we observed some macrofossils and trace fossils from the Cango Caves Group - stay tuned for publications!

Whilst in South Africa we also had the pleasure of collaborating with Dr Gavin Rishworth from Nelson Mandela University, investigating animal-microbialite interactions, comparing modern coastal microbialite reefs to Ediacaran reefs where the earliest biomineralising animals may have evolved.

Special thanks to Baptiste Couret, Kurt Konhauser and Ross Anderson for help making this trip happen, and to Dr Gavin Rishworth, Dr Hayley Cawthra, and Ryan Nel for welcoming us so kindly to South Africa.

More coming soon…