Tawuia

Tawuia Temporal range: Statherian to Cambrian Stage 3, 1630–518 Ma Pha. Proterozoic Archean Had.
Fossil specimen, Geological Museum of China
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	incertae sedis
Genus:	† Tawuia H.J.Hofmann, 1979 [1]
Type species
Tawuia dalensis Hofmann 1979
Species
Tawuia dalensis Tawuia robusta Tawuia sinensis [1]

The fossils are often preserved as organic compressions. They are sometimes considered to represent microbial structures; ^[2] some authors affiliate them with slime molds. ^[2] However, Tawuia is instead likely an alga, ^[1] as sub-cellular structures supporting this have been preserved. ^[3]

• 
  A 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

See also

• Longfengshania

References

1. "Tawuia Hofmann 1979 (green algae)". Paleobiology database. 2025.
2. Teyssèdre, B. (2003), "Trois classes de fossiles precambriens pour un meme taxon", Comptes Rendus Palevol (in French), 6 (503): 508–510, doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2003.09.023
3. 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. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110485 .