Bibliographic Detail
Siver, P.A. & Lott, A.M., 2023
Reference:
Siver, P.A. & Lott, A.M. (2023). A first account of Mallomonas specimens representing section Torquatae from the fossil record: descriptions of two species from the Eocene. Fottea 23(2): 246-255, 22 fig.
Abstract:
Mallomonas Perty is a genus of photosynthetic and heterokont algae belonging to the order Synurales, within the class Chrysophyceae. It is the most speciose genus within the Synurales, and consists of motile unicells with a cell covering composed of highly sculptured and precisely arranged siliceous scales and bristles. The genus is a common and often important element of planktic habitats with species found in numerous types of aquatic environments. Mallomonas is divided into 19 sections, many of which are further divided into multiple series. The section Torquatae is one of the larger sections of the genus comprised of species with a distinctive arrangement of siliceous components and a unique forward projecting apical end, the collar. With the exception of a few localities, very little is known about the evolutionary history of the Synurales, including Mallomonas. In this study, we describe two new species belonging to section Torquatae from the early Eocene, which represent the first taxa for this section known from the fossil record. Because the general characteristics of all siliceous components are similar to those on modern species, it is clear that this section of the Mallomonas lineage was well-evolved by the Eocene.
DOI:
10.5507/fot.2022.019