The Paleontology of North America

Protists from North America

> Acritarchs | Ciliates | Dinoflagellates | Foraminifera | Radiolarians | Diatoms | Green Algae | Red Algae | Kelps and Brown Algae | Silicoflagellates | Calcareous Nannoplankton | Other Protists

See More Images

Receptaculites
Receptaculites
© 2003 P.J. Noble, University of Nevada, Reno

Lepidocyclina sp.
Lepidocyclina sp.
© 2008 Tom Maier

stromatolite
stromatolite
© 0 Ron Stanwood

What are Protists? The term “protist” refers to any eukaryote that is not a plant, animal, or fungus. Most protists are unicellular, while others are multicellular or even multinucleate (many nuclei in one cell). Some live as single individuals, others as colonies. This diverse group exhibits a wide variety of sizes, shapes, life cycles, habitats, and feeding and reproductive strategies. The protists have a long, although in some cases patchy, fossil record stretching back to the Precambrian.

First known fossil occurrence: Precambrian.

Last known fossil occurrence: Quaternary. This group has living relatives.

Fossils through time:
Choose a time period to see what life was like:

Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Precambrian