The first fossil record of choanoflagellates, the animals' closest relatives

Choanoflagellates are aquatic protists that have long been considered the closest living relatives of Metazoa, and knowledge about the evolution of choanoflagellates is fundamental to understanding the ancestry of these animals. Although studies suggest their appearance at the end of the Neoproterozoic, until now, there was no fossil record of these microorganisms.

In a study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, from the Nature group, the first observation of fossil choanoflagellates in sediments from the Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) of Spain is presented, through the use of advanced petrographic techniques. This article is the result of an intense work of international multidisciplinary scientific collaboration, led by Doctor Carolina Fonseca, licensed and master by the University of Coimbra, with the participation of Professor Luís Vítor Duarte.

Free access at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26972-8