View source for Biology:Vendotaenid

{{Taxobox
|color_as = incertae sedis
|fossil_range = {{Fossil range|650|530}}
|image= Vendotaenid indet.jpg
|image_caption= Fossil of a ''Vendotaenid'' at Musee d'Histoire Naturelle, Brussels.
|subdivision_ranks = Genera
|subdivision_ref = <ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tewari |first1=Vinod |title=Vendotaenids: Earliest Megasopic Multicellular Algae On Earth |journal=Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology |date=January 1999 |volume=20 |pages=77–85 |url=https://www.academia.edu/31220000}}</ref>
|subdivision =*{{extinct}}''Aataenia'' <small>Gnilovskaya, 1976</small>
*{{extinct}}''[[Biology:Harlaniella|Harlaniella]]'' <small>Sokolov,1972</small>
*{{extinct}}''Laminarites'' <small>Eichwald 1854</small>
*{{extinct}}''Sinotaenia'' <small>Chen & Zheng, 1986</small>
*{{extinct}}''Tyrasotaenia'' <small>Gnilovskaya, 1971</small>
*{{extinct}}''Vendotaenia'' <small>Gnilovskaya, 1971</small>
*{{extinct}}''Vidhyania'' <small>Tewari, 1988</small>
*{{extinct}}''Kroloataenia'' <small>Tewari, 1988</small>
}}

'''Vendotaenids''' are [[Earth:Precambrian|Precambrian]] macrofossils of uncertain nature originally interpreted as [[Biology:Brown algae|brown algae]]. Little studies are available on vendotaenids as they are rare.<ref name="Vidal1989">{{Cite journal |last1=Vidal |first1=G. |year=1989 |title=Are late Proterozoic carbonaceous megafossils metaphytic algae or bacteria? |journal=Lethaia |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=375–379 |doi=10.1111/j.1502-3931.1989.tb01437.x}}</ref>

==Morphology==
''Vendotaenids'' typically are {{convert|1|mm|in|sp= us}} in width and characteristically are commonly preserved as unbranched red or black ribbons.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Tewari |first=Vinod |date=1999 |title=Vendotaenids: earliest megascopic multicellular algae on Earth |url=http://dspace.cus.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/1/3967/1/Tewari-Geosicnece%20Journal%20Vol.XX%281%29%2C%201999.pdf |journal=Geosciences Journal}}</ref> The remains are often curved and have been found twisted or untwisted. ''Vendotaenia'' tends to be untwisted whereas ''Tyrasotaenia'' tends to be twisted. Specimens of the vendotaenid ''Krolotaenia'' possess lateral branching, however it is not common to find a branch that branches into lateral ribbons. ''Tyrostaenia'' is unbranching and crumpled.<ref name=":0" />

==Classification==
Originally interpreted as brown algae, the fossils are now thought to represent [[Chemistry:Sulfide|sulfide]]-reducing [[Biology:Bacteria|bacteria]].<ref name=Vidal1989/> There are potentially other taxa within ''Vendophyceae'', listed in Tewari, 1999 as "synonyms". These synonyms are listed as: "''Vendotaenia, Aataenia, Katnia, Laminarites, Proterotainia, Sinotaenia, Tyrasotaenia, Vidhyania,'' and ''Krolotaenia."'' <ref name=":0" /> There is little information on the fossils so it is difficult to reconstruct a full [[Biology:Phylogenetic tree|Phylogenetic tree]] of Vendotaenids.

==Occurrence==
''Vendotaenids'' are able to be extracted from the surrounding sediments by [[Chemistry:Hydrofluoric acid|HF]] dissolution and are found within [[Earth:Ediacaran|Ediacaran]] rocks dating to {{Ma|650|530}}.<ref name=Vidal1989/>

==See also==
* [[Biology:List of Ediacaran genera|List of Ediacaran genera]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q7919646}}
[[Category:Fossils]]
[[Category:Ediacaran life]]
[[Category:Ediacaran]]

{{Sourceattribution|Vendotaenid}}