Paleopleurocapsa wopfnerii gen. et sp. nov.: A Late Precambrian alga and its modern counterpart.

ABSTRACT

Silicified dolomite of the approximately one billion year old Skillogalee Dolomite of the Adelaide Geosyncline, South Australia, contains organically preserved microfossils of a structurally complex, crustose pleurocapsalean cyanophyte, herein described as Paleopleurocapsa wopfnerii. Although actual cell contents have been degraded, lamellar sheath material faithfully preserves the morphology of the alga. Comparison with specimens of the modern genus Pleurocapsa Thuret demonstrates affinities at the family level and quite possibly even generic identity.