Ediacaran Weng'an Fossil Cell Clusters with 3D Tomographic Models

South China Ediacaran Weng'an biota fossil data from the Doushantuo Formation. The dataset contains 2D measurements and X-ray tomographic slice data, label files, and 3D surface models for three fossil specimens, including SMNH X 5331. Data was produced under NERC grant NE/J018325/1 and relates to a 2016 publication by Cunningham et al.

Use Cases

• Perform 3D morphological analysis of fossilized cell clusters based on provided .ply surface models.
• Conduct volumetric segmentation and labeling of individual cells using the included Avizo project and .tif label stacks.
• Compare anatomical structures across multiple specimens (SMNH X 4447, SMNH X 5331, SMNH X 5357) using raw .tif scan data.
• Validate and reproduce quantitative measurements from the related scientific publication using the 2D data in Table S1.

Strengths

• Includes high-resolution X-ray tomographic data with specified voxel sizes (e.g., 0.325 x -1.3 x 0.325 micrometers).
• Provides multiple data representations: raw slices, segmented labels, and 3D surface models (.ply files).
• Data is linked to a specific peer-reviewed publication (Cunningham et al., 2016).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Requires specialized software (e.g., Avizo, MeshLab) for full 3D analysis and visualization.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

X-ray tomographic analysis of fossil specimens.

Time Range

Ediacaran Period (approximately 635-541 million years ago).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04 09 08:37:51.477752; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Weng'an biota, Doushantuo Formation, South China.