Origin and diversification of Precambrian eukaryotes
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Although the origin of the eukaryotic cell could be an Archaean event, the earliest unambiguous eukaryotic remains are late Palaeoproterozoic in age - and it was only much later, in the second half of the Neoproterozoic, that they became ecologically significant. This extended history intersects with supercontinental formation and break-up, intervals of intense glaciation, fundamental shifts in atmospheric and oceanic chemistry, and the complexification of ecological interactions. We invite contributions from any area relevant to understanding the early evolution of eukaryotes, from fossils to geochemistry, Earth history to molecular phylogenetics, ecosystem modelling to macroevolutionary dynamics.
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Emmanuelle Javaux and Nick J. Butterfield
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