''Archaeolithophyllum'' is a genus of

conceptacle Conceptacles are specialized cavities of marine and freshwater algae that contain the reproductive organs. They are situated in the receptacle and open by a small ostiole.Boney, A.D. (1969). ''A Biology of Marine Algae''. Hutchinson Educational L ...

-bearing red alga that falls in the coralline stem group. It somewhat resembles ''

Lithophyllum ''Lithophyllum'' is a genus of thalloid red algae belonging to the family Corallinaceae. Fossil record This genus is known in the fossil record from the Silurian to the Quaternary (from about 418.7 to 0.0 million years ago). Fossils of sp ...

.'' As of today, ''Archaeolithophyllum'' is the only

Palaeozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and '' ...

coralline to bear clear conceptacles, although the earlier ''

Graticula ''Graticula'', formerly incorrectly named '' Craticula'', is a genus of Palaeozoic coralline alga Coralline algae are red algae in the order Corallinales. They are characterized by a thallus that is hard because of calcareous deposits contai ...

'' does bear reproductive structures. It mineralized using

aragonite Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, one of the three most common naturally occurring crystal forms of calcium carbonate, (the other forms being the minerals calcite and vaterite). It is formed by biological and physical processes, including prec ...

. Its conceptacles are cone-shaped protrusions that extend outwards from the thallus surface and have a single central opening. It probably encrusted muddy or sandy surfaces.

References

Red algae genera Paleozoic life of Nunavut {{Rhodophyta-stub

See also

References