The likely Late Archean-Paleoproterozoic origin for eukaryotes poses a problem for palaeontologists. The fossil record of the earliest eukaryotes arises around 2.0 billion years ago, yet the fossil record around this time is meagre. With an increase in knowledge of what geochemical and mineralogical signals indicate likely fossiliferous horizons in the shale record, the search for more early eukaryotic organic walled fossils has become more imperative. These fossils will help to contextualise the evolution of eukaryotes in an unfamiliar ancient ocean.
As such, I have targeted two sites of likely preservation of eukaryotic microfossils.
The 1.8 billion year old Rove Formation, Ontario, Canada
The 2.4-2.0 billion year old Transvaal Group, South Africa
Stay tuned as I investigate these fossils for signs of early life!