Tawuia

Tawuia; Temporal range: Statherian to Cambrian Stage 3, 1632–518 Ma Pha. Proterozoic Archean Had.
	Fossil specimen, Geological Museum of China
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Chlorophyta
Class:	†Chuariophyceae
Order:	†Chuariales
Family:	†Chuariaceae
Genus:	†Tawuia; Hofmann, 1979
Type species
	†Tawuia dalensis; Hofmann, 1979
Species
	†Tawuia dalensis Hofmann, 1979 ; †Tawuia robusta Qin et al., 2023 ; †Tawuia sinensis Duan, 1982 ;

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]

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

References

1 2 3 Tawuia in the Paleobiology Database
↑ Srivastava, P.; Bali, R. (2006). "Proterozoic carbonaceous remains from the Chorhat Sandstone: oldest fossils of the Vindhyan Supergroup, Central India". Geobios. 39 (6): 873–878. Bibcode:2006Geobi..39..873S. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2006.02.001. ISSN 0016-6995. S2CID 127862654.
↑ Li, Rui-Yun; Fu, Dong-Jing; Zhang, Xing-Liang (22 December 2022). "Chuaria Walcott from the early Cambrian Qingjiang biota: a taxon persisted for billions of years". Palaeoworld. 33 (1): 11–21. Bibcode:2024Palae..33...11L. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2022.12.008. ISSN 1871-174X. S2CID 255035533.
1 2 Teyssèdre, B. (2003), "Chuaria, Tawuia, Longfengshania. Trois classes de fossiles précambriens pour un même taxon" (PDF), Comptes Rendus Palevol (in French), 6 (503): 508–510, Bibcode:2003CRPal...2..503T, doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2003.09.023, ISSN 1631-0683, S2CID 128492583
↑ Tang, Qing; Pang, Ke; Li, Guangjin; Chen, Lei; Yuan, Xunlai; Sharma, Mukund; Xiao, Shuhai (August 2021). "The Proterozoic macrofossil Tawuia as a coenocytic eukaryote and a possible macroalga". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 576 110485. Bibcode:2021PPP...57610485T. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110485. ISSN 0031-0182. S2CID 236258404.

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[pbdb-1] 1 2 3 Tawuia in the Paleobiology Database

[2] Srivastava, P.; Bali, R. (2006). "Proterozoic carbonaceous remains from the Chorhat Sandstone: oldest fossils of the Vindhyan Supergroup, Central India". Geobios. 39 (6): 873–878. Bibcode:2006Geobi..39..873S. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2006.02.001. ISSN 0016-6995. S2CID 127862654.

[3] Li, Rui-Yun; Fu, Dong-Jing; Zhang, Xing-Liang (22 December 2022). "Chuaria Walcott from the early Cambrian Qingjiang biota: a taxon persisted for billions of years". Palaeoworld. 33 (1): 11–21. Bibcode:2024Palae..33...11L. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2022.12.008. ISSN 1871-174X. S2CID 255035533.

[trois-4] 1 2 Teyssèdre, B. (2003), "Chuaria, Tawuia, Longfengshania. Trois classes de fossiles précambriens pour un même taxon" (PDF), Comptes Rendus Palevol (in French), 6 (503): 508–510, Bibcode:2003CRPal...2..503T, doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2003.09.023, ISSN 1631-0683, S2CID 128492583

[coeno-5] Tang, Qing; Pang, Ke; Li, Guangjin; Chen, Lei; Yuan, Xunlai; Sharma, Mukund; Xiao, Shuhai (August 2021). "The Proterozoic macrofossil Tawuia as a coenocytic eukaryote and a possible macroalga". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 576 110485. Bibcode:2021PPP...57610485T. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110485. ISSN 0031-0182. S2CID 236258404.

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Tawuia

See also

References