Scientists have uncovered the fossils of the oldest green algae ever known, that lived about 1 billion years ago. The fossil of newfound seaweed called Proterocladus antiquus was recovered near Dalian City in the Liaoning province of northern China. The research revealed that despite its small size (0.07 inches), it could produce oxygen through photosynthesis. Earlier, the oldest discovered fossilized green algae was dated 800 million years old. Researchers believe that newly discovered fossils suggest that green seaweeds were important players in the ocean long before their descendants, land plants, took control.
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