Tawuia
Enigmatic genus of prehistoric eukaryotes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tawuia is a millimetric disc or sausage-shaped, most likely multicellular (although coenocytic), macrofossil from the Proterozoic. Stratigraphically, they range from around 1,630 million years ago[2] to the early Cambrian.[3]
| Tawuia Temporal range: Statherian to Cambrian Stage 3, | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fossil specimen, Geological Museum of China | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Archaeplastida |
| Clade: | Viridiplantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | †Chuariophyceae |
| Order: | †Chuariales |
| Family: | †Chuariaceae |
| Genus: | †Tawuia Hofmann, 1979[1] |
| Type species | |
| †Tawuia dalensis Hofmann, 1979 | |
| Species[1] | |
| |
The fossils are often preserved as organic compressions. They are sometimes considered to represent microbial structures;[4] some authors affiliate them with slime molds.[4] However, Tawuia is instead likely an alga,[1] as sub-cellular structures supporting this have been preserved.[5]
Reconstruction of Tawuia as a coenocytic macroalgae with epibionts.
Reconstruction of Tawuia as a coenocytic macroalgae lacking epibionts
Reconstruction of Tawuia sinensis as a coenocytic macroalgae lacking epibionts
