Written in Stone: The Fossil Record of Early Eukaryotes

Xiao, Shuhai

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-6732-8_8

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…that eukaryotic algae did evolve before the Tonian Period [3,4,18,19]. Thus, there are compelling reasons to bring the Tonian in the forefront of paleobiological investigation in order to better understand the co-evolution of life and the physical environment during this critical geological period.…”

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After the boring billion and before the freezing millions: evolutionary patterns and innovations in the Tonian Period

Xiao

Qing

2018

Emerging Topics in Life Sciences

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The Tonian Period (ca. 1000–720 Ma) follows the ‘boring billion' in the Mesoproterozoic Era and precedes ‘snowball Earth' glaciations in the Cryogenian Period. It represents a critical transition in Earth history. Geochemical data indicate that the Tonian Period may have witnessed a significant increase in atmospheric pO2 levels and a major transition from predominantly sulfidic to ferruginous mid-depth seawaters. Molecular clock estimates suggest that early animals may have diverged in the Tonian Period, raising the intriguing possibility of coupled environmental changes and evolutionary innovations. The co-evolution of life and its environment during the Tonian Period can be tested against the fossil record by examining diversity trends in the Proterozoic and evolutionary innovations in the Tonian. Compilations of Proterozoic microfossils and macrofossils apparently support a Tonian increase in global taxonomic diversity and morphological range relative to the Mesoproterozoic Era, although this is not reflected in assemblage-level diversity patterns. The fossil record suggests that major eukaryote groups (including Opisthokonta, Amoebozoa, Plantae, and SAR) may have diverged and important evolutionary innovations (e.g. multicellularity and cell differentiation in several groups, eukaryovory, eukaryote biomineralization, and heterocystous cyanobacteria) may have arisen by the Tonian Period, but thus far no convincing animal fossils have been found in the Tonian. Tonian paleontology is still in its nascent stage, and it offers many opportunities to explore Earth-life evolution in this critical geological period.

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After the boring billion and before the freezing millions: evolutionary patterns and innovations in the Tonian Period

Xiao

Qing

2018

Emerging Topics in Life Sciences

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“…Like the processes and reticulate sculptures on Proterozoic acritarch vesicles, striations on Valeria vesicles are pattern formation that probably requires cytoskeletons and an endomembrane system (Cavalier-Smith, 2002;Xiao, 2013). Building material for vesicle wall and striations was synthesized by the endomembrane system and transported by vacuoles and/or cytoskeletons to the cell periphery.…”

Section: The Formation Of Valeria Striationsmentioning

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A biomechanical analysis of the early eukaryotic fossil Valeria and new occurrence of organic-walled microfossils from the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic Ruyang Group

et al. 2015

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Please cite this article in press as: Pang, K., et al., A biomechanical analysis of the early eukaryotic fossil Valeria and new occurrence of organicwalled microfossils from the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic Ruyang Group. Palaeoworld (2015), http://dx. AbstractThe Paleo-Mesoproterozoic Ruyang Group of North China hosts early eukaryotic fossils such as Dictyosphaera, Shuiyousphaeridium, and Valeria, and thus offers valuable insights into the early evolution of single-celled eukaryotic life. In this paper, we report several additional forms of organic-walled microfossils from the Ruyang Group, including Plicatidium latum, Spiromorpha sp., and an unnamed form. V. lophostriata from the Ruyang Group is investigated using transmitted light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and biomechanical analysis. V. lophostriata is reconstructed as a spherical vesicle with two hemispherical halves bearing concentric striations resembling latitudinal circles. The formation of striations could be explained using the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction model or the Turing reaction-diffusion model. A biomechanical analysis using the thin-walled spherical pressure vessel model suggests that the concentric striations of V. lophostriata may have functioned as a mechanism to guide biologically programmed excystment through medial split. Our analysis provides essential paleontological data to better understand the functional biology and life cycles of early eukaryotes such as Valeria.

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“…, ; Xiao et al . ; Wang & Wang ; Xiao ; Wang et al . , , ) is the portion of the organism that extends into the sediment to maintain the alga in place.…”

Section: Morphological Features Of the Root‐like Structures Of Macroamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Xiao et al . , ; Wang & Wang ; Xiao ; Wang et al . , , ) and is an important feature used in macroalgal classification and/or taxonomy (Du & Tian , b; Steiner ; Ding et al .…”

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Ediacaran macroalgal holdfasts and their evolution: a case study from China

Wang

Tang

et al. 2020

Palaeontology

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A macroalgal holdfast (root‐like structure) anchored or grown into sediments is a key trait of metaphytes and eukaryotic algae. Various patterns and taphonomic variants of congeneric holdfasts are preserved on the bedding planes of black shales of the Ediacaran Wenghui biota in South China. The macroalgal holdfast, which commonly consists of a rhizome, rhizoid and pith (perhaps mechanical tissue), can be morphologically classified into ten types within four groups of rhizomes: bare rhizome holdfasts (Grypania, Tongrenphyton and Sectoralga‐type holdfasts), canopy rhizome holdfasts (Gemmaphyton, Gesinella, Discusphyton and Baculiphyca‐type holdfasts), pithy rhizome holdfasts (Zhongbaodaophyton and pithy‐cone‐type holdfasts) and differentiated rhizome holdfasts (Wenghuiphyton‐type holdfasts). Analysis of the Precambrian macroalgal record indicates that rhizomes played a more important role in the evolution of macroalgal holdfast than rhizoids. The following evolutionary stages of development of macroalgal holdfasts are proposed: (1) growth of the basal thallus into sediments (Grypania‐type holdfast); (2) development of a primitive (indistinct) rhizome from the base of a stipe or thallus (Tongrenphyton‐type and Sectoralga‐type holdfasts); (3) growth of a distinct rhizome with rhizoid (Gemmaphyton‐type, Gesinella‐type and Discusphyton‐type holdfasts); (4) development of a pith in the stipe (Baculiphyca‐type holdfast); (5) pith extension into the rhizome (Zhongbaodaophyton‐type and pithy‐cone‐type holdfasts); and (6) rhizome differentiation and development of a complex holdfast system (Wenghuiphyton‐type holdfast).

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Written in Stone: The Fossil Record of Early Eukaryotes

Cited by 14 publications

References 74 publications

After the boring billion and before the freezing millions: evolutionary patterns and innovations in the Tonian Period

After the boring billion and before the freezing millions: evolutionary patterns and innovations in the Tonian Period

A biomechanical analysis of the early eukaryotic fossil Valeria and new occurrence of organic-walled microfossils from the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic Ruyang Group

Ediacaran macroalgal holdfasts and their evolution: a case study from China

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