Reflectance Transformation Imaging files of specimen BGS GSM106352, a large (1.0 x 1.2m) display cast, made from Jesmonite AC-300 and coloured dark gray and showing several species typical of the fossil biota on the Bed B surface of Wilby et al. (2011) in Charnwood Forest. Wilby. P, Carney, J.N, Howe, M.P.A 2011 A rich Ediacaran assemblage from eastern Avalonia: Evidence of early widespread diversity in the deep ocean. https://doi.org/10.1130/G31890.1

The map shows the localities of significant fossil samples, either collected by BGS Staff, or donated by individuals and institutions. The BGS fossil collections contain over 2 million specimens, including a sizeable quantity of type, figured and cited material. Since a small number of fossil locations are confidential, you are unable to view this dataset at large scales. However, if you send a data enquiry, such information may be made available. Enquiries are normally free, but a charge may be levied depending upon the time taken; users will be notified in advance. Material is available for inspection on application by e-mail. Specimens are sometimes available for loan to bona fide academics.

Reflectance Transformation Imaging files for the type specimen GSM105875 [IGSN:UKBGSGSM105875] and two paratypes GSM106040 [IGSN:UKBGSGSM106040] , GSM106112 [IGSN:UKBGSGSM106112] of Hylaecullulus fordi, a new species of rangeomorph from the Bradgate Formation (Ediacaran) of Charnwood Forest, UK. Supporting information for Kenchington, Dunn and Wilby - Modularity and overcompensatory growth in rangeomorphs (late Ediacaran, approx. 580-541 Ma): adaptations for coping with environmental pressures. Current Biology.

The map shows the localities of significant fossil samples, either collected by BGS Staff, or donated by individuals and institutions. The BGS fossil collections contain over 2 million specimens, including a sizeable quantity of type, figured and cited material. Since a small number of fossil locations are confidential, you are unable to view this dataset at large scales. However, if you send a data enquiry, such information may be made available. Enquiries are normally free, but a charge may be levied depending upon the time taken; users will be notified in advance. Material is available for inspection on application by e-mail. Specimens are sometimes available for loan to bona fide academics.

Table S1.xlsx is Table S1, which contains 2D measurements of cell clusters used in Fig. 5 (this is also available from the publisher's website). The folders SMNH X 4447, SMNH X 5331 and SMNH X 5357 contain data from X-ray tomographic analyses of fossils figured in the paper: For SMNH X 5331 (the conical fossil that is the focus of the paper) there are two zip archives: 1. Slice data and Avizo files, containing: - Slice data: the raw scan data (.tif image stack) - Label files for cell clusters and individual cells: Avizo projects (.hx) containing the labels and the files required to open the project file. The cluster labels are based on a downsampled version of the data which is included here as slice data (.tif image stack). Voxel sizes for this file are 0.325 x 1.3 x 0.325 micrometers. 2. Working files, containing: - Surface models: .ply files for clusters and individual cells. - Segmented stacks: the label files as .tif stacks (voxel sizes as per slice data: 0.325 x 0.325 x 0.325 micrometres (cell labels); 0.325 x 1.3 x 0.325 micrometers (cluster labels)). SMNH X 4447 and SMNH X 5357 (two specimens figured for comparison) there is: - Slice data: zip archives of the raw scan data (.tif image stack). The individual slices (.tif images) can be viewed with standard graphics software, and the datasets can be studied in 3D using tomographic reconstruction software such as Avizo (www.vsg3d.com/), Spiers (www.spiers-software.org/), VG Studio Max (www.volumegraphics.com) etc. The Avizo project and label files (.hx and .am files) require Avizo software (www.vsg3d.com/) to be opened. The 3D models (.ply files) are widely compatible with 3D freeware packages such as MeshLab (http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/) or Blender (https://www.blender.org/), or with proprietary software, e.g. Avizo (www.vsg3d.com/), Geomagic (http://www.geomagic.com/en/), Mimics (http://biomedical.materialise.com/mimics). The files relate to the following publication: Cunningham, J. A., Vargas, K., Marone, F., Bengtson, S. & Donoghue, P. C. J. 2016. A multicellular organism with embedded cell clusters from the Ediacaran Weng'an biota (Doushantuo Formation, South China). Evolution & Development

3D laser surface scan of a fossil held within the BGS Type and Stratigraphical Reference Collection. Sample number: BGS GSM 37292 Species: Metrolytoceras metretum (Ammonite) Age: Inferior Oolite Group, Jurassic Location: near Sherborne, Dorset

The data are from X-ray tomographic analyses of tubular fossils. All scans were carried out using Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Tomographic Microscopy (SRXTM) except for specimen SMNH X 5324 which was also analysed using Ptychographic X-ray Computed Tomography (PXCT). The methods are described in the paper. The data consist of a stacked series of .tif files that represent maps of X-ray attenuation. The individual slices can be viewed with standard graphics software. The datasets can be studied in 3D using tomographic reconstruction software such as Avizo (www.vsg3d.com/), Spiers (www.spiers-software.org/), VG Studio Max (www.volumegraphics.com) etc. The voxel size, which is needed for scale calculations, varies between datasets and is given below. Some datasets consist of two 'blocks' of data, with slices named [specimen name]_B1 and [specimen name]_B2. These are placed in the same folder and follow on directly from one another. They can be opened together as a single dataset. The files relate to the following publication: Cunningham, J. A., Vargas, K., Liu, P., Belivanova, V., Marone, F., Martinez-Perez, C., Guizar-Sicairos, M., Holler, M., Bengtson, S. & Donoghue, P. C. J. 2015. Critical appraisal of tubular putative eumetazoans from the Ediacaran Weng'an Doushantuo biota. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B: Biological Sciences.

These data represent a massive synchrotron based programme to study ancient life. Not all of these data have been processed yet, nor have we published all of the results that we intend to. These data are still very much a work in progress. NERC grant abstract: Building on our previous successes with identifying and mapping the chemical residues of eumelanin and beta keratin, herein we propose an analytical and experimental plan to enhance our ability to detect and image key components of soft tissue. First of all we will perform a series of experiments with extant soft tissue so that we can monitor and determine the breakdown reactions of organic compounds as a function of host lithology, moisture content, and trace metal inventory. Secondly, we will complete an analytical programme, including SRS-XRF imaging, which will include these experimental run products as well as a series of time-stepped fossil samples of varying ages and host lithology so that we may build up a database which allows us to refine our general understanding of reaction paths during fossil degradation. Because the techniques we have developed are non-destructive we now have opened up the possibility for detailed analysis of extremely rare specimens which hold important information but cannot be destructively sampled. Finally, these experimental and analytical results from fossils and comparable extant species will be combined in order to answer several critically important questions in palaeontology, biology, and geochemistry. Project partners: University of Nancy, CNRS, Prof. R. Michels Feather degradation experiments SLAC Linear Accelerator Center, Linac Coherent Light Source, Dr. U. Bergmann SRS-XRF scans of large objects and x-ray spectroscopy SLAC Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Prof. C. Kao SRS-XRF scans of large objects DIAMOND Lightsource, Prof. Fred Mosselmans XAS spectroscopy.

Interrelated specimens and records compiled over 150 years of palaeontological collecting and research. All associated paper data (registers, indexes of locality and storage, reports of conclusions).

Phylogenetic data matrices used to assess the differences between hard and soft morphological characters For more details see: Fossilization causes organisms to appear erroneously primitive by distorting evolutionary trees Robert S. Sansom & Matthew A. Wills Scientific Reports 3, Article number: 2545 (2013) doi:10.1038/srep02545