Tubular agglutinated fossils of Platysolenites antiquissimus Eichwald, 1860, P. cooperi n.sp. and Spirosolenites spiralis Glaessner, 1979 are examined from selected lower Cambrian successions in Avalonia (England; Wales; Newfoundland) and Baltica (Russia and Estonia). Platysolenites cooperi n.sp. is shown to extend below the first appearance of P. antiquissimus in the Neoproterozoic‐Cambrian boundary stratotype region, SE Newfoundland, and to occur at higher stratigraphic levels in Wales and Finnmark. Taphonomic, teleological and ultrastructural studies on well‐preserved material are consistent with a similar grade of organization and mode of life for P. antiquissimus and the living astrorhizacean foraminiferid Bathysiphon. However, agglutinated proloculi are here described from both rectilinear P. antiquissimus and coiled S. spiralis, which suggests that neither were typical astrorhizaceans.

The delineation Ben Nevis L-55 well, located in the Hebron-Ben Nevis field, offshore Newfoundland, targeted the Cretaceous Ben Nevis Formation in the petroleum-rich Jeanne d'Arc Basin. This case study focuses on the bioturbated net-pay horizons and assesses the importance of animal-sediment interactions in controlling the porosity and permeability of sandstone reservoir intervals. Our data reveal that bioturbation can either reduce permeability and porosity by as much as approximately 33% or enhance it by up to 600%, dependent on burrow type and behavior of the trace-making organism. The net-pay interval in the cored interval of Ben Nevis L-55 is characterized by Ophiomorpha-dominated ichnofabrics. The action of bioturbators can be classified in terms of sediment mixing, sediment cleaning, sediment packing, and pipe-work-building strategies. Bioturbation has the potential to (1) increase isotropy or uniformity of grain size by destroying sedimentary laminae through burrow homogenization, or (2) decrease isotropy by selectively sorting grains into burrow lining and fill by grain size, and through creation of open-burrow systems filled with later sediments of differing character to the host sediment. The petrophysical characteristics of the reservoir facies are highly dependent on trace fossil morphology, presence or absence of burrow linings, nature of burrow fills, burrow size, and bioturbation intensity. Mudstone-rich facies and ichnofabrics containing mudstone-filled and/or lined burrows (e.g., Ophiomorpha and clusters of Chondrites) have the net effect of permeability reduction. In contrast, permeability enhancement is documented from muddy sandstone facies with clean sand-filled burrows (e.g., Thalassinoides) and clean sandstones with burrow-mottled or diffuse to massive textures.

Body and trace fossils of Ediacaran affinity are described from strata of the late Neoproterozoic Longmyndian Supergroup exposed near Church Stretton, Shropshire, UK. The almost spherical soft-bodied Ediacaran fossil Beltanelliformis brunsae Menner occurs rarely in the Burway Formation, but much smaller, simpler, discoidal structures are common in both the Burway and Synalds formations and are referred to Beltanelliformis minutae sp. nov. Similar discoidal structures, but with a distinct central depression, are included in Intrites punctatus Fedonkin and are common at several horizons. Two blocks with numerous examples of Medusinites aff. asteroides (Sprigg) Glaessner & Wade were recovered from the Burway Formation. The purported Ediacaran body fossil ‘Arumberia’ Glaessner & Walter is common at several horizons but its biogenicity is not accepted herein. ‘Arumberia’ is thus treated along with evidence for microbially bound sediment surfaces or matgrounds that have been suggested by several authors to be necessary for some types of Ediacaran preservation. The assemblage of simple trace and body fossils along with matgrounds is typical of latest Neoproterozoic time, though some elements range into the Phanerozoic.