A fossilized microcenosis in Triassic amber

Detailed data on bacterial and protistan microfossils are presented from a 0.003 mm(3) piece of Triassic amber (Schlierseerit, Upper Triassic period, 220-230 million years old). This microcenosis, which actually existed as su ch within a very small, probably semiaquatic habitat, included the remains of about two bacteria species, four fungi (Palaeodikaryomyces baueri, Pitho myces-like conidia, capillitium-like hyphae, yeast cells) two euglenoids, t wo chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas sp., Chloromonas sp.), two coccal green mic roalgae (Chlorella sp., Choricystis-like cells), one zooflagellate, three r estate amoebae (Centropyxis aculeata var, oblonga-like, Cyclopyxis eurystom a-like, Hyalosphenia baueri n. sp.), seven ciliates (Pseudoplatyophrya nana -like, Mykophagophrys terricola-like, Cyrtolophosis mucicola-like, Paracond ylostoma sp., Bryometopus triquetrus-like, Tetrahymena rostrata-like, Param ecium triassicum n. sp.) The microfossils correspond to or diverge from ext ant species only slightly.