Marpolia

Marpolia has been interpreted as a cyanobacterium, but also resembles the modern cladophoran green algae. It is known from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale^[1] and Early Cambrian deposits from the Czech Republic.^[2] It comprises a dense mass of entangled, twisted filaments. It may have been free-floating or grown on other objects, although there is no evidence of attachment structures.^[1] 40 specimens of Marpolia are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they comprise 0.08% of the community.^[3]

Quick facts Scientific classification, Binomial name ...

Marpolia Temporal range: Upper early Cambrian–Middle Cambrian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil of Marpolia from the Burgess Shale
Restoration model at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Cyanobacteria
Class:	Cyanophyceae
Order:	Nostocales
Genus:	Marpolia Walcott, 1919
Species:	M. spissa
Binomial name
Marpolia spissa Walcott, 1919

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