''Bangiomorpha pubescens'' is a

red alga Red algae, or Rhodophyta (, ; ), are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta also comprises one of the largest phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 currently recognized species with taxonomic revisions ongoing. The majority ...

. It is the first known sexually reproducing organism. A multicellular fossil of ''Bangiomorpha pubescens'' was recovered from the

Hunting Formation Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, e ...

in Somerset Island,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

that strongly resembles the modern red alga ''

Bangia ''Bangia'' is an extant genus of division Rhodophyta that grows in marine or freshwater habitats. ''Bangia'' has small thalli with rapid growth and high reproductive output, and exhibits behavior characteristic of r-selected species. The plants ...

'' despite occurring in rocks dating to , during the

Stenian The Stenian Period (, from grc, στενός, stenós, meaning "narrow") is the final geologic period in the Mesoproterozoic Era and lasted from Mya to Mya (million years ago). Instead of being based on stratigraphy, these dates are defined ...

period. This fossil of a type of red algae is the oldest example of an organism belonging to an extant phylum. The fossil includes differentiated reproductive cells that are the oldest evidence of sexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction increased genetic variation, which led to an increased rate of evolution and the diversification of eukaryotes.

References

Bangiophyceae Red algae genera Fossil taxa described in 2000 Monotypic algae genera {{Rhodophyta-stub