Studying the early history of life in Greenland

Abstract

Exceptionally preserved fossils of soft-bodied animals have always aroused particular interest within the geological community. Not only do they supply anatomical information not usually preserved, but they also provide insights into the structure of the living communities which are difficult to obtain from fossils preserved as hard skeletal elements alone. The importance of these soft-bodied or poorly skeletised forms is indicated by their dominance in present day environments where animals without hard parts make up more than two thirds of the number of species and individuals present (Conway Morris, 1986).