Green Algae
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Contrary to common belief, Green Algae do not mainly appear as big slimy lumps of filaments in ponds but also in drier habitats. Paradoxically, they even appear as red stain on tree trunks and rocks. It must be mentioned  that the Yellow-Green Algae are not included here, and the
Blue-Green Algae are widely separated from the Green Algae on the phylogenetic tree.Green Alga filament

Filamentous Green Algae are rare in the Rhynie chert [1] and not easily found. The alga in the image on the right, frame width 0.2mm, differs from the few species described earlier. It resembles a similar one recently described but not named in [1]. See Rhynie Chert News 140 .
charophyte whorlsMuch more conspicuous than the filamentous Green Algae are the charophytes, which are most easily recognised when they present themselves as stems with whorls of branches, as illustrated here under the inclusive term Lower Plants and in the image on the left (frame width 1.5mm).
A recently discovered early charophyte type of Green Alga with peculiar "flowers" (frame  1.5mm) is described in Rhynie Chert News 73, 8990, 93106, 129, 138, 139, charophyte tops169. charophyte alga topThis discovery is thought to be essential for the phylogenetic tree of the charophytes whose details are relevant for the evolutionary path to the Higher Plants.

Green Algae consisting of big tubes but without whorls of branches are more problematic but
probably are charophytes as well: Rhynie Chert News 48, 141. (Image on the far right, frame width 0.5mm.)

[1] C.H. Wellmann, L.E. Graham, L.A. Lewis:
Filamentous green algae from the Early Devonian Rhynie chert. PalZ 93, 387–393 (2019).

2021  

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