DOI: 10.1126/science.190.4209.52. Precambrian Eukaryotic Organisms: A Reassessment of the Evidence

Precambrian Eukaryotic Organisms: A Reassessment of the Evidence

10.1126/science.190.4209.52

Crossref journal-article

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Science (221)

Abstract

Comparison of partially degraded unialgal cultures of Chroococcus turgidus with coccoid microfossils from the Late Precambrian Bitter Springs formation, Australia, suggests that the Precambrian fossil record has been seriously misinterpreted. Use of degradational features as taxonomic characters has resulted in unrealistically high estimates of Precambrian algal diversity. There is at present no compelling evidence for the presence of eukaryotic microfossils in rocks from the Bitter Springs formation or any older sedimentary sequences.

Bibliography

Knoll, A. H., & Barghoorn, E. S. (1975). Precambrian Eukaryotic Organisms: A Reassessment of the Evidence. Science, 190(4209), 52â54.

Authors 2

Andrew H. Knoll (first)
Elso S. Barghoorn (additional)

References 12 Referenced 87

Barghoorn E. S., Schopf J. W., Science 150, 337 (1965). (10.1126/science.150.3694.337) / Science by Barghoorn E. S. (1965)
Schopf J. W., J. Paleontol. 42, 651 (1968). / J. Paleontol. by Schopf J. W. (1968)
Schopf J. W., Blacic J. N., J. Paleontol. 45, 925 (1971). / J. Paleontol. by Schopf J. W. (1971)
Schopf J. W., Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 3, 213 (1975). (10.1146/annurev.ea.03.050175.001241) / Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. by Schopf J. W. (1975)
Awramik S. M., Golubic S., Barghoorn E. S., Abstr. Geol. Soc. Am. 4 (7), 428 (1972). This study grew from observations made by S. Golubic on living algal communities. / Abstr. Geol. Soc. Am. by Awramik S. M. (1972)
Knoll A. H., Barghoorn E. S., Golubic S., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 2488 (1975); (10.1073/pnas.72.7.2488) / Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. by Knoll A. H. (1975)
Golubic S. Hofmann H. J. Paleontol. in press. These papers outline the sequence of degradation commonly observed in natural populations of blue-green algae and relate it to specific examples in the Pre-cambrian fossil record.
Bold H. C., Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 175, 601 (1970). / Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. by Bold H. C. (1970)
Barghoorn E. S., Sci. Am. 140 (5), 30 (1971); (10.1038/scientificamerican0571-30) / Sci. Am. by Barghoorn E. S. (1971)
Hoffman H. J., Nature (Lond.) 249, 87 (1974). (10.1038/249087a0) / Nature (Lond.) by Hoffman H. J. (1974)
Cloud P. E., Licari G. R., Wright L. A., Troxel B. W., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 62, 623 (1969). This paper also compares certain microstructures with chrysophyte statospores; however, much evidence accumulated by Margulis (11) and Schopf (4) indicates that these structures are not fossil cysts and may not be biological in origin. (10.1073/pnas.62.3.623) / Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. by Cloud P. E. (1969)
Margulis L., Biosystems 6, 16 (1974). The possibility that the Bitter Springs tetrahedral structure is a meiotic tetrad is here considered to be “remote.” (10.1016/0303-2647(74)90008-2) / Biosystems by Margulis L. (1974)

Dates

Type	When
Created	12 years, 5 months ago (March 16, 2013, 7:47 p.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 7 months ago (Jan. 11, 2024, 3:38 p.m.)
Indexed	9 months, 1 week ago (Nov. 19, 2024, 11:40 a.m.)
Issued	49 years, 10 months ago (Oct. 3, 1975)
Published	49 years, 10 months ago (Oct. 3, 1975)
Published Print	49 years, 10 months ago (Oct. 3, 1975)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Knoll_1975, title={Precambrian Eukaryotic Organisms: A Reassessment of the Evidence}, volume={190}, ISSN={1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.190.4209.52}, DOI={10.1126/science.190.4209.52}, number={4209}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Knoll, Andrew H. and Barghoorn, Elso S.}, year={1975}, month=oct, pages={52–54} }

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