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What are Silicoflagellates? Silicoflagellates are unicellular marine plankton with an internal skeleton made of hollow bars of silica. They can photosynthesize or feed on other protists. Silicoflagellates are useful in biostratigraphy, particularly at higher latitudes where the cold waters may dissolve tiny calcareous protist skeletons before they can be preserved as fossils. Silicoflagellates were once thought to be closely related to golden algae, but their relationships to other protists are uncertain. First known fossil occurrence: Cretaceous. Last known fossil occurrence: Quaternary. This group has living relatives. |
