Frameworks for Interpreting the Early Fossil Record of Eukaryotes

We present two end-member models for the evolution of modern (i.e., crown) eukaryotes-one in which modern eukaryotes evolved early, and another in which they evolved late-and interpret key fossils within these frameworks, including where they might fit in eukaryote phylogeny and what they may tell us about the evolution of eukaryotic cell biology and ecology. Each model has different implications for understanding the rise of complex life on Earth, including different roles of Earth surface oxygenation, and makes different predictions that future paleontological studies can test.PMID:37713454 | DOI:10.1146/annurev-micro-032421-113254
Source: Annual Review of Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Source Type: research