The bulbils of Palaeonitella cranii (Charales, Charophyceae)
Norberto Garcia Cabera, a former MGAP student, co-auhtored this study published in Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.
14.09.2023
Krings M., & Garcia Cabera N. (2023). The bulbils of Palaeonitella cranii (Charales, Charophyceae) revisited, with notes on other inflated cells of this alga that are not bulbils. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 318, 104987 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2023.104987
The authors have taken a closer look at the bulbils—small rounded structures—of Palaeonitella cranii, a 407-million-year-old green alga from the famous Rhynie chert fossil site in Scotland. These bulbils formed on rhizoids, the anchoring parts of the alga, and may have helped it survive harsh conditions or regrow after damage. New fossil material shows that the bulbils likely developed from modified branch structures and could even sprout new growth. This research highlights how early algae adapted to life in shallow, hot spring environments. The study improves our understanding of P. cranii, the only fossil alga known from both its above- and below-ground parts, including possible reproductive features.
