Precambrian biota: protistan origin of trace fossils?
Some Precambrian trace fossils have been presented as evidence for the early origin of bilaterians; the recent finding that large amoeboid protists leave macroscopic traces at the bottom of the deep ocean questions the metazoan nature of early trace fossils, stressing the importance of single-cell organisms in Precambrian biota.
Pawlowski
Jan
J
Department of Zoology and Animal Biology, University of Geneva, Sciences III, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland. Jan.Pawlowski@unige.ch
Gooday
Andrew J
AJ
D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000166:cytology*; D005580:Fossils; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010163:Paleontology; D010802:Phylogeny