Algae
While most of Utah's Cambrian biota is represented by fossils of animals, an important algal flora also exhisted at this time. Algae include a great diversity of photosynthetic autotrophs (organisms capable of producing their own food from sunlight), ranging from single- to multicellular forms. Some of the oldest well-preserved fossils of algae are known from the Middle Cambrian of Utah. These algae were likely important components of the Cambrian marine ecosystem.
Three species of algae have been described from the Cambrian of Utah and include:
Gallery of Algae
Note: Marks on all scale bars are centimeters (cm).
Margaretia dorus Walcott, 1931
KUMIP 127793. Spence Shale Member of the Langston Formation, Wellsville Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah. Figure 3.5 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 127810. Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Figure 3.4 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 127811 & 127812 (part, counterpart of same specimen). Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Not figured.
KUMIP 147911 (part, counterpart). Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Figure 4.4 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 204373. Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Figure 3.1 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 204374. Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Figure 3.2 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 204376 & 204377 (part, counterpart). Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Figures 4.2, 4.3 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
Marpolia spissa Walcott, 1919
KUMIP 111764. Spence Shale Member of the Langston Formation, Wellsville Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah. Figure 1.2 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 111765. Spence Shale Member of the Langston Formation, Wellsville Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah. Figure 1.1 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 127798. Spence Shale Member of the Langston Formation, Wellsville Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah. Figure None in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 127799. Spence Shale Member of the Langston Formation, Wellsville Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah. Figure 1.3 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 204372 (part, counterpart). Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Figure 1.4 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 241405. Spence Shale Member of the Langston Formation, Wellsville Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah.
Yuknessia simplex Walcott, 1919
KUMIP 147909. Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Figure 11.2 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 204378. Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Figure 11.1 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 204380. Wheeler Formation, Drum Mountains, Millard County, Utah. Figure 11.4 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 204381. Spence Shale Member of the Langston Formation, Wellsville Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah. Figure 11.5 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
KUMIP 204382. Wheeler Formation, House Range, Millard County, Utah. Figure 11.6 in Conway Morris & Robison (1988).
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