Bicellum brasieri

Bicellum brasieri is a fossil holozoan.[1] It is about 1 billion years old and could be the oldest example of complex multicellularity in the evolutionary lineage leading to the animals.[2] It was discovered in 2021.[2]

Bicellum brasieri
Temporal range:
Multiple specimens of B. brasieri, such as the holotype (A)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Obazoa
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
Genus: Bicellum
Species:
B. brasieri
Binomial name
Bicellum brasieri
Strother et al. 2021

Fossil site

Bicellum was found in sediments from the Diabaig Formation in Loch Torridon, Scotland. The Diabaig Formation, considered to represent an ancient lake deposit,[3] was already known to preserve the first non-marine eukaryotes.[4]

References

  1. Strother, Paul K.; Brasier, Martin D.; Wacey, David; Timpe, Leslie; Saunders, Martin; Wellman, Charles H. (April 2021). "A possible billion-year-old holozoan with differentiated multicellularity". Current Biology: S0960982221004243. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.051.
  2. "Billion-year-old fossil found preserved in Torridon rocks". BBC News. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  3. Stewart, A. D. (2002). The Later Proterozoic Torridonian Rocks of Scotland: their Sedimentology, Geochemistry and Origin. London: the Geological Society. pp. 1–136. ISBN 1-86239-103-3.
  4. Strother, Paul K.; Battison, Leila; Brasier, Martin D.; Wellman, Charles H. (May 2011). "Earth's earliest non-marine eukaryotes". Nature. 473 (7348): 505–509. doi:10.1038/nature09943. ISSN 1476-4687.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.