Calathophycus Q.Q.Tang in Tang, Zheng, Qin, Wang, Yang, Wang, Sun, Uesugi, Komiya & Han

Plant Fossil Names Registry Number: PFN002870

Act LSID: urn:lsid:plantfossilnames.org:act:2870

Author: Q. Tang

Rank: genus

Reference for this name: Tang, Q., Zheng, Y. J., Qin, S., Wang, Y. C., Yang, X. G., Wang, X., Sun, J., Uesugi, K., Komiya, T. & Han, J. (2022): New materials of multicellular algae from the earliest Cambrian Kuanchuanpu biota in South China. – Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 67(2): 317–327., link

Page of description: 319

Type

Original diagnosis/description

Calathiform thallus, 0.45–2.12 mm in length, with a deep or shallow central concavity. Thallus enveloped by a thin, tightly attached membrane; comprised of multiple cell clumps with nearly uniform cells. Cells are irregularly arranged, polygon-shaped, 20–35 μm in length.

Etymology

“Calath-”, calathus, bowl, with reference to the calathiform shape of the fossils; “phycus”, sea weed. The name is assigned based on its morphology and presumed affinity.