[B-PT23_30AM1] Decoding the history of Earth: From Hadean to Modern

[BPT23-05] Dendroid multicellular thallophytes preserved in a Neoproterozoic black phosphorite in southern China

*Wei DU¹, Xunlian WANG¹, Tsuyoshi KOMIYA² (1.China University of Geosciences, 2.Tokyo University)

Keywords:Neoproterozoic, Doushantuo, multicellular thallophytes, dendroid, heteromorphic

Both metaphytes and metazoans are reported from the well-preserved multicellular assemblage in the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo phosphorite in Weng'an of the Guizhou province, southern China. Here, a new form of dendroid multicellular thallophytes is documented. The new thallus is slightly heteromorphic. Several lateral branches extend from upper portion of the main axis, bearing terminal vegetative vesicles, carpognial vesicles, monosporangium-like discoidal vesicles and urn-shaped pseudoparenchymatous structures. The vegetative vesicle gives rise to a club-shaped pseudoparenchymatous structure, characterised by the medulla?cortex thallus differentiation, which may represent the early stage of the thallus. An oogamous conceptacle arising from one carpognial vesicle is a highly specialised goblet-shaped conceptacle. The discovery and identification of these new dendroid multicellular thallophytes not only document the first fossil-histological evidence for the heteromorphism of Precambrian organisms but also provide a potential insight for our enhanced understanding of the life cycle of the Precambrian red algae.