Data from: Elucidating the morphology and ecology of Eoandromeda octobrachiata from the Ediacaran of South Australia

Eoandromeda octobrachiata is a poorly understood Ediacaran organism, with
spiral-octoradial arms, found in South Australia and South China. The
informal Nilpena member of the Rawnsley Quartzite, Flinders Ranges in
South Australia preserves more than 200 specimens of Eoandromeda. Here we
use the novel application of rotational geometric morphometrics together
with palaeoenvironmental information to provide a better insight into
their palaeobiology and ecology and to address conflicting hypotheses
regarding mode of life and taxonomic affinity. We find that Eoandromeda
likely had a radially symmetrical shape in life, was cone-shaped and had a
high relief off the microbial mat. Analysis of the symmetric and
asymmetric shape components revealed they deform strongly in the direction
of palaeocurrent, therefore are thought to be made of a flexible material.
Almost all specimens are compressed flat. Specimens that appear to have
not fully collapsed support the idea that Eoandromeda was likely
cone-shaped and further suggest that they possibly collapsed spirally. Our
shape analysis along with observed morphological features support the
benthic mode of life hypothesis rather than pelagic. Morphological and
ecological inconsistencies do not fully support the hypothesis of a
Ctenophora taxonomic affinity.