''Beltanelliformis'' is a genus of discoid fossil from the

Ediacaran The Ediacaran Period ( ) is a geological period that spans 96 million years from the end of the Cryogenian Period 635 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Cambrian Period 538.8 Mya. It marks the end of the Proterozoic Eon, and th ...

period containing the two species B. brunsae and B. minutae, sometimes ascribed to the

Ediacaran Biota The Ediacaran (; formerly Vendian) biota is a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic period classification that consists of all life forms that were present on Earth during the Ediacaran Period (). These were composed of enigmatic tubular and frond-sh ...

. The chemical signature obtained from organically preserved specimens points to a

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, blu ...

l affinity (cf. ''

Nostoc ''Nostoc'', also known as star jelly, troll’s butter, spit of moon, fallen star, witch's butter (not to be confused with the fungi commonly known as witches' butter), and witch’s jelly, is the most common genus of cyanobacteria found in vari ...

''). Depending on its preservation, it is sometimes referred to as ''Nemiana ''or ''Beltanelloides''.

References

Ediacaran life Ediacaran Enigmatic prehistoric animal genera Aquatic animals Cyanobacteria {{ediacaran-stub