Nearshore environments before the evolution of land plants

Abstract

The long-term evolution of the biosphere has caused fundamental shifts in environmental conditions and sedimentation at Earth's surface. While effects of the evolution of terrestrial vegetation on river systems have been explored in detail, facies models and possible shifts in sedimentation in pre-vegetation nearshore marine settings have not been sufficiently explored. The circa 800-million-year-old Burra Group, exposed in the Adelaide Fold Belt of South Australia, is a terrestrial to nearshore transgressive sedimentary succession associated with rifting. The Burra Group provides a record of marginal and shallow marine environments before the evolution of land plants. Environments are inter..