| Thallophycoides Temporal range: Ediacaran ~ | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Archaeplastida |
| Division: | Rhodophyta |
| Genus: | † Thallophycoides Zhang & Yuan, 1992 |
| Species: | †T. phloeatus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Thallophycoides phloeatus Zhang & Yuan, 1992 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Thallophycoides is an undifferentiated, globular, non-mineralized alga from the Ediacaran period of China. It is a monotypic genus, containing only Thallophycoides phloeatus.
Fossil material of Thallophycoides was found in the middle of the Doushantuo Formation, Guizhou Province of South China and formally described in 1989. [2]
The generic name Thallophycoides refers to its similarities with the genus Thallophyca . The specific name phloeatus derives from the Greek word Phloe, to mean "skin or bark", in reference to the cortical cells of the thallus. [2]
Thallophycoides phloeatus is a globular alga that is millimetric to centimetric in its dimensions, [a] with a thallus that can get up to 1.5 mm (0.1 in) in length and 1.1 mm (0.0 in) in width. [2] The medullary cells are spheroidal to ellipsoidal in shape, and are tightly packed together, [3] whilst the cortical cells are often found empty, with all cells sitting around 1.7–3.1 μm (0–0 in) in diameter. [2] Due to the lack of any notable cell or thallus differentiation between these two cells, it has been postured to be either an early or stem group florideophyte red algae. [4] [3]
Thallophycoides was originally considered to be a free-floating algae, floating on the waters surface, [2] although recent studies suggest it to be a benthic alga, inferred from how its lobate protrusions and tissues grew. [3]