Scientists hope the remains will offer new clues about the emergence of photosynthesising green plants.
"If our interpretation is correct, then P. antiquus from the ca.one billion-year-old Nanfen Formation represents one of the earliest known multicellular chlorophytes," they write.
Green plants able to extract energy from the sun's rays are thought to have emerged sometime between the Palaeoproterozoic era and the Cryogenian period . Without their evolution, the development of more complex life—including humans— would have been impossible. However, a dearth of evidence on the fossil record has made it hard to identify their evolutionary timeline with much more accuracy.
The hope is that the dating of the newly discovered P. antiquus will enable scientists to narrow down the window by creating a minimum age for the split between Rhodophyta and Viridiplantae and the evolution of multicellularity in Chlorophyta, among other things. The study's authors say P. antiquus is differentiated from other species of Proterocladus by certain features, including its root-like structure and upward-growing lateral branches. However, they caution that the fragmentary nature of the remains could mean a previously identified species of Proterocladus has been mistaken for an entirely new species.
Scientists have discovered what they believe is the oldest green algae in the world, Proterocladus antiquus.To put the discovery into perspective, most research pins the evolution of multicellular organisms to a period approximately 600 million years ago,
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
China says has allocated $14.16 billion for curbing coronavirus outbreakChina has allocated 99.5 billion yuan ($14.16 billion) in funds for curbing the ...
Les mer »
Factbox: Airlines suspend China flights due to coronavirus outbreakAirlines have been suspending flights or modifying service in response to the co...
Les mer »
Price tussle, coronavirus hammer Argentina's beef gravy train to ChinaArgentine beef exports to its top buyer China fell almost a third in January due...
Les mer »
Coronavirus Cases Surge Outside Of ChinaThe coronavirus outbreak that has been focused primarily in China has recently erupted in several other parts of the world.
Les mer »
New coronavirus cases fall in China but fears grow over global spreadChina reported a decrease in the number of new deaths and cases of the coronavirus, while new infections rose in other countries
Les mer »
Large parts of China relax coronavirus curbs, many places report zero new casesUrged to restore economic activity by President Xi Jinping, large parts of China...
Les mer »